Give Me Peace (Don't Leave Me Alone)
by KazamaKurama
Summary: His comrades are dead and his best friend is dying at his feet. Offered a chance to save Sasuke and do everything over again, Naruto seizes it in an instant. However, the outcome of his decision is more staggering than he'd ever realized. Warning: MinaNaru!
1. Prologue

**Summery:** His comrades are dead and his best friend is dying at his feet. Offered a chance to save Sasuke and do everything over again, Naruto seizes it in an instant. However, the outcome of his decision is more staggering than he'd ever realized.

* * *

**Chapter One:** Prologue

* * *

The earth directly underneath him exploded and Minato was already flickering away, soles of his boots landing firmly on the trunk of an oak tree, one hand reaching for one of his kunai.

Today was suppose to be his day off.

Coming back from a long month long mission, the ANBU finally had a day off. He could have been at home studying the new scroll that Kushina had let him borrow, or at home with a mug of warm coffee.

Instead, he was pushing off of the tree, dodging the wave of kunai that were aimed for him, landing on the ground of the forest. Three missing nin immediately surrounded the ANBU Captain.

_It's a beautiful day,_ he'd thought. _Why waste it indoors? Get some fresh air, enjoy the village, buy some dumplings.. follow that strange chakra fluctuation 'just to be sure'. Discover three rouge nin, one of which you recognize from your Bingo Book, and get into a fight with them. _

Because it was his day off, and what else would he have done?

He was gone again, just in time to avoid the wave of wind that would have hit him, kunai drawn as he drew in on one of his attackers. Really, what else could go wrong today for Minato? Just as he was about to attack, a strange burst of chakra hit the middle of the clearing, knocking the missing nin off of their feet. Had Minato not sensed it and applied chakra to his feet, he would have been knocked back as well.

When the light cleared, he did a quick scan and found the rouge nin were knocked out. Turning back to where the strange light had come from, he quirked an eyebrow at the sight.

Laying on the ground was a blond haired man, wearing a black shirt and horrible orange pants. He looked to be beaten up rather badly, but that wasn't the oddest thing. Curled up in the man's arms was a sleeping, dark haired baby, wrapped up in what looked to be an orange jacket. The child seemed to be unharmed, and the hold the blond man had on the baby was protective.

_Well,_ he thought, _I feel bad for the paperwork this will cause Sandaime. _

* * *

_Twenty-three years in the future_

Dead. Everyone was dead. The war against Madara had gone on for two years without stop. After Obito had converted to their side, the rest of the Shinobi Alliance thought they'd had a chance. The Zetsu army had proven to be too much, taking out many of the allies outposts.

Tsunade and Kakashi were one of the first to fall, along with half of the Rookie 9, sealing the Ten Tails.

The rest fell down with time, until it was just Naruto and Sasuke against Madara.

The fight had gone on for hours. It had been brutal, and Sasuke had stupidly taken a fatal blow meant for Sasuke. It was thanks to that that Naruto had been able to land the final blow on Madara.

They had won, but everyone was dead. Naruto had cradled Sasuke close, listening to his heart beat slowly. He'd cursed, screamed for Kami to bring him back or to take him as well. This wasn't worth it. It wasn't a victory.

He had cursed, cried, tried to heal his dying friend-

And then, the Bijuu had offered him help. A way, one that may or may not work. Naruto had been too desperate to care. He'd lost everyone; he couldn't lose Sasuke too.

Shukaku and Isobi had put Sasuke in a state of animated suspension while Naruto had drawn out the ancient seal the others told him about. Blood between he and Sasuke had been exchanged, the seal drawn carefully on his heart, Sasuke's as well.

The chakra of all the Bijuu together had been the last component. Sasuke would live, but not as he had been.

"Are you sure about this?" Kurama had asked once the last curve of the seal had been drawn.

"There's nothing left, Kurama. I'm sure," Naruto had answered, sounding more sure of this than he had about anything in the last year.

With all of the tailed beasts working together, a bright light surrounded them before they disappeared in a haze of chakra.

* * *

It had been nearly a week since Minato had brought the two unknown individuals back to Konoha. He'd explained to the best of his abilities what happened to the Sandaime, who had listened carefully. The first thing that had been ordered was a blood test between the child and blond man. The tests had determined that they were, strangely enough, father and son.

A day after arriving, the child woke up crying his lungs out. The child couldn't have been more than a few days old, and looked nothing like his father. Where the blond had tanned skin, the baby had fair skin; blond hair clashed with the baby's dark hair. If not for the bright blue eyes, blue like Minato's own, then he could have sworn the child was an Uchiha.

He didn't know why he kept visiting. Maybe it was because he had found them, or because he couldn't stop thinking of the strange way they had arrived in that clearing. The blond man was healing at a miraculous rate. Within a few days, the cuts on his body had all but disappeared, leaving not even a scar. The medic nins couldn't describe it, and were currently thinking it was some bloodline limit. The only scars that seemed to remain were the three whisker marks on the man's cheeks.

A week to the day that they'd arrived there was a huge crash in the man's room.

White. White was what Naruto saw when he opened his eyes. He felt the soft sheets covering him up, and was laying on a rather comfortable bed. Immediately he recognized the smell of the place. He was in the hospital, but where? He remembered the war, fighting Madara, Sasuke-

Sasuke.

Moving out of bed with reflexes that could have only come from years of training, Naruto stared around the room he was in, already defensive. He could sense many people in the hospital, but blocked them out right at the moment. Kurama was still inside of him, the unmistakable warmth of the chakra washing over him. Eyes snapping open, he kicked the hospital door open, not caring about the noise. Sasuke was his main priority.

Immediately he sensed chakra signatures closing in on him. A hand on his shoulder had him reacting, grabbing the wrist and twisting as he turned his body, ready to fight whomever this was-

Naruto froze, staring into eerily familiar blue eyes.

Minato stared down at the blond man who had quite literally kicked his door down, taking in his appearance. He'd arrived at the hospital just a few moments ago to see if the man had woken from his coma just yet, and had heard the noise. That frantic look on his face couldn't have been mistaken for nothing else but parental concern. As soon as he'd touched his shoulder, however, the man had displayed surprising skill. Oddly enough, when those blue eyes turned to look at him, the blond had frozen. Looking into those blue eyes, he could understand now just how this man and the child was related to each other.

"Calm down. You're not in any danger. You're in Konoha hospital, and you're safe now," Minato ordered, carefully taking the man's hand off of his wrist, his own grip gentle yet firm.

He was real. He had to be, because Naruto wasn't easily caught in genjutsu's. Kurama would have dispelled it by now if this wasn't real. He tensed at the order, instinct kicking in, and gave a sharp nod. That fox had some explaining to do.

"Where's Sasuke?"

"Is that your son's name?"

Pausing at the question before remembering the strange seal he had done and the vague explanation the Bijuu had given him, he nodded.

"He's safe. One of the nurses here has been taking care of him. Do you remember what happened to you two?" A shake of his head was his answer.

"I found you and your son in the forest outside of Konoha. You were heavily injured, but your son was fine. You can see him once the Sandaime arrives to ask you some questions. If you're deemed to not be a threat, and wish to stay, then you will be put under surveillance. Understand?" It may have seemed harsh, but Minato knew it was necessary. From what he'd seen, this man was obviously a shinobi and they couldn't afford a threat to stay in the village.

Naruto understood the conditions. He was lucky he wasn't being hauled off to T&amp;I right now, honestly. If he wanted to see Sasuke again, then agreeing was his only option.

"I understand."

Minato searched the man's face for any signs of a lie, but found none. What he did find was resignation and a tiredness in those blue eyes. It was obvious that this man had been through a lot, and his son was important to him if he were willing to break down a door to find him. Satisfied that the man wouldn't attack again, he put a hand on his shoulder, gently guiding him back into his room.

Naruto felt tense after waking up to this. He didn't fight the other, though he didn't know how the outcome would be if they ever really fought, and allowed himself to be led to the bed. He really needed to talk to Kurama about what the hell was going on, but he'd pieced most of it together by himself. The jutsu had worked, Sasuke was alive, and somehow, he was back in the past. Running a hand over his face, he sighed and resigned himself to wait, as well as ignore Minato as long as he could.

"What's your name?" Of course he couldn't have a moment of peace.

"Kazama Naruto," He answered without thinking.

"Where are you from?"

"Shouldn't the old man be here first before I answer these questions?" Glancing up, he was amused by the incredulous look on Minato's face.

Before the Konoha nin could reprimand the other for using such a disrespectful title, the Hokage came through the door, raising an eyebrow at his shinobi. He turned his gaze on the man on the bed, who looked rather amused for some reason, while Minato looked a bit ruffled.

"Ah, I see you're finally awake. I'm assuming you know where you are, correct?" The blond nodded, sitting up straighter.

Naruto at least was able to keep his expression steady when he saw the old man walk through the door. He'd mentally prepared himself since seeing Minato's face, reminding himself that these people didn't know him. If he could help it, they would never know him.

"Would you mind answering some questions?" Sarutobi assessed the other carefully. He would speak with Minato after this, if the blond wasn't deemed to be a threat, to ask his opinion about the other blond.

"I don't mind, Old Man," Naruto's mouth quirked into a smile at the vein he could practically see popping from Minato's forehead at his title. Sarutobi seemed to take it in stride.

"Alright. I'll start with your name, and then you can tell me where you and your son are from exactly." It wasn't a request, but an order.

"My name is Kazama Naruto, and my son is Kazama Sasuke. I'm an orphan, so I can't tell you about my parents. I was in an orphanage for a while before a wandering shinobi picked me up and taught me how to defend myself. I met Sasuke's mother in Nami no Kuni just last year. One sake bottle too many, and nine months later Sasuke was born. His mom died during childbirth, and I decided to bring my son here so we could start a life. We were.. attacked by missing nin, and I can't remember anything after that." It was sketchy at best, would seem suspicious, but it was all Naruto could do right now.

Sarutobi studied the man carefully. He couldn't tell if he was lying or not, and that made this even more difficult. He could tell that Naruto wasn't a threat, however. From the way he held himself, he seemed wary of waking up in a hospital, but that was to be expected. The wounds he'd reported coming here with was consistent with his story of being attacked. If it was true, then Naruto had done quite a job at defending his son.

"You've put me in a difficult position, Naruto. We cannot just accept anyone into our village. I'm assuming you want to be a shinobi?"

Naruto nodded, knowing he had no other real choice. He wouldn't give up being a shinobi, and Sasuke needed to be protected. Sasuke came first to him.

"Then you will be put on a probationary period of six months. You will have chakra suppressors placed on you, and you will be monitored by one of my shinobi at all times. If we find nothing suspicious about you, I can offer you a chance into our ranks. What is your rank?"

Well, it was better than what Naruto was expecting. "I'm a Jounin, and I specalize in Fuuinjutsu and.. Infiltration." He noticed the way that Minato and Sarutobi stiffened at his words and rolled his eyes. "What? It's what my Sensei taught me! I have a habit of hearing some.. interesting information, Hokage-sama. Information I think that Konohagakure will need." Whether it was his words or his expression that convinced them, Naruto had no idea, but both of them suddenly looked serious.

Half an hour later, he was in the Hokage Tower, dressed in some simple jeans and a shirt he'd been given, and his chakra sealed, thanks to Minato.

The Hokage studied Naruto closely before having Minato place silencing seals in the office. "Elaborate on your statement in the hospital."

So, Naruto did. He was going by what he remembered of the history books and told Sarutobi of the upcoming war the other nations were planning. When asked about his sources, Naruto refused to say, stating they would be in danger. This was a big risk he was taking, but he'd found out long ago he was a lucky gambler.

"Hokage-sama, at most, you have three years before the war starts. At least, you have a year." There was silence in the office. Naruto was doing this not only for Konoha, but for Sasuke. He had to seize this chance for what it was; another chance at life. Sasuke wouldn't be raised in the middle of a war, not if Naruto could help it. He had no one else but Sasuke and Kurama left.

Sarutobi thought over the information this strange man had given him. First Minato reports that this man, Naruto, arrives right outside in the forest in a strange light of chakra. Now, this man has information on a war that the other nations are planning. If Naruto is telling the truth, then Sarutobi could use this to Konoha's advantage. However, he was still suspicious of Naruto as well. For one, the blond refused to give up his contacts. Another thing, all Naruto asked for was to be instated as a shinobi so he could protect Konoha and raise his son. Locking eyes with Minato, he saw that the ANBU Captain was suspicious as well.

"Very well then, Naruto. I will investigate your claims. If they are found to be correct, then you will be instated as a shinobi. If they are false and I find you have planned against Konoha, you will be executed. Is that understood?" He narrowed his eyes, waiting until his message sank in.

Naruto understood. He nodded, sitting up straighter and still ignoring Minato. Facing the Sandaime was enough of a challenge, but facing both of them? He didn't know if he could do that. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good. For now, you will be living with one of my shinobi. Minato, your place is empty right now, and you do have an extra room I believe," Sarutobi stopped any protests with a firm look, smiling when Minato gave a weak nod. "Good then. Minato, take your new charge to the hospital so that he can get his son. Keep an eye on Naruto for me. I will have supplies for his son delivered to your apartment by the time you arrive. Dismissed."

Naruto stood up, glancing at his would be father. He could tell that Minato didn't trust him. In fact, he obviously didn't even like this arrangement. Well, too bad. Naruto didn't like it either, but he had Sasuke to take care of now. Sasuke. His best friend turned into a child. Oh, Kami, this was weird.

Minato didn't know what to think of Naruto. The man had literally came out of nowhere, bringing with him vital information that, if true, would possibly avert this war that was coming up. If what Naruto said was true, then Konoha would owe a debt to the man. Minato didn't trust him. He wouldn't trust him until he proved that he wasn't a threat.

"Come on." He ordered, leading them both out of the office, not even looking back to see if Naruto was following him.

Naruto sighed at the blatant distrust he was being shown by the other blond. They didn't speak as they headed out of the office, not even when they left the tower and worked their way through the village, towards the hospital. That had been the longest meeting he'd ever had in his life. Right now, he just wanted to get Sasuke back.

The hospital was just as he remembered it. Naruto took the chance to look around as Minato lead them both through the halls, bringing him to the nursery that Sasuke was in. As soon as they arrived, he could hear babies crying. Sasuke was a baby. Kami, his best friend he'd fought with in a war for two years, the man he'd known since he was a kid, was a _baby_. A _helpless_, _vulnerable_ baby.

"Sir?" Blue eyes snapped down to the crying bundle in the nurses arms. Sasuke was so small, dressed in a blue baby outfit they had at the hospital. His hair looked as Naruto remembered, but he had teary, blue eyes that looked exactly like his own. Carefully, Naruto took the wailing child and was surprised when Sasuke stopped crying to look up at him. Those blue eyes were wide, seeming to study his face.

"H.. Hey, Sasuke. Remember me? It's.. Tou-chan. Daddy." He would have to get use to calling himself that now. Holding Sasuke in his arms, his best friend looking so vulnerable, he reminded himself that this wasn't the Sasuke he knew. This child wouldn't ever have his brother betray his family, and he would never have to see his clan massacred. He would never have to kill his brother, seek revenge, fight in a war or face hardships.

"It's okay. I've got you, Sasuke," Naruto murmured, holding the baby to his chest, carefully resting that small head right over his heart. Sasuke cooed, making intelligible noises as his hands reached for Naruto's bright hair.

"I'll protect you, Sasuke. I.. I'll be the best Dad ever. I swear, I'll protect you," Naruto didn't even know when he started crying, but he couldn't help it. The nurse assumed it was because of the attack on them during their trip here, so she left them alone.

Minato was observing Naruto's reaction. He could clearly see the care that he had for his son. Naruto was holding Sasuke as if he'd never held a baby before, looking almost scared of making the wrong move. Then, he started promising to be the best dad, to protect Sasuke, and started crying. Despite his own suspicions, he couldn't help but soften up at the sight. Whether Naruto's circumstances were strange, the man was a father who obviously wanted to protect his son and had no clue what to do with a child. He could see that Naruto just wanted to protect his son. They were both without a home, having only each other to rely on. Maybe having Naruto living with him the next half year wouldn't be so bad. After all, Sasuke was an adorable child. It would be interesting at the very least.

Naruto finally pulled himself together after a while. He was glad that Minato hadn't said anything and shot the other a grateful look. When Sasuke started whining, the baby's face scrunching up, he almost panicked. What was wrong with him?

The panic on Naruto's face was amusing to Minato, but he sympathized with him. He had no clue what was wrong with the baby either. He watched as Sasuke started wailing and Naruto panicked, pacing around to try and calm the baby, rocking him awkwardly in his arms. Finally having pity on him, Minato quickly called for a nurse.

Why did he think he could do this? What in the world made him think he could actually care for a child? Naruto didn't know what was wrong! Sasuke was crying bloody murder, and Naruto couldn't figure out the problem. He'd tried rocking the baby, he'd tried humming to him, but it just wouldn't work! Finally a nurse came over, looking exasperated, and handed him a baby bottle.

"He's probably hungry," She said, showing Naruto how to properly hold Sasuke. Placing the bottle in his mouth, Naruto stared with wide eyes as Sasuke stopped crying and started eating. He was relieved it worked, honestly. Kami, how was he going to do this alone?

"T.. Thank you," He stammered, looking at the nurse gratefully. Despite how much of a powerful shinobi he was, Naruto knew he was useless when it came to children. The nurse gave him a small smile, shaking her head as she told them they could leave.

Remembering that Minato was there and had probably seen the embarrassing display, Naruto felt a blush spread across his cheeks and he glared at the Jounin, who looked too amused for his liking.

"I will castrate you if you say anything. Just get us out of here," He snapped, his face practically flaming when Minato smiled too innocently at him.

"Right this way, Kazama-san," Minato hummed, leading the way out of the hospital, glancing back at his two new charges. Sasuke was obviously content, occasionally cooing as he ate, his wide blue eyes taking in everything they could.

"Look, just call me Naruto," He sighed, glancing down at Sasuke, noticing he was falling asleep slowly but surely. The bottle was running low, so he tugged it out of Sasuke's mouth, remembering some things about children. After adjusting Sasuke onto his stomach against his chest, Naruto started gently patting his back, wrinkling his nose a bit when he burped.

"Naruto. Alright," Minato had stopped to watch as Naruto handled the baby, his movements still awkward. It was obvious to the Jounin that Naruto was new with babies. He wouldn't deny that the sight of Sasuke cuddled against the other blond's chest was downright adorable though. The blanket was slipping a bit, and as it was winter, he knew that children needed to be bundled up. With Naruto's hands full of Sasuke, Minato stepped forward and took the blanket, carefully wrapping the baby up while he was laying against Naruto's chest. Ah, there was another blush on Naruto's face, probably from either anger or embarrassment.

"I ah.. Thank you," Naruto mumbled. He hadn't really expected for Minato to help him like that, but it made it easier to carry Sasuke.

"Namikaze Minato. Call me Minato," He introduced, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder so he didn't get separated from him, and leading them in the direction of his apartment.

Naruto nodded absently, his head spinning from everything that had happened. First he'd woken up in the past and found his father of all people alive. Next, his friend is a baby, one that's apparently blood related to him, but he figured out that it had to do with the seals and jutsu he'd preformed. It would explain Sasuke having blue eyes at least. Now, he was a suspect in Konoha and living with his father of all people while on a trial period, until he could be claimed as innocent and not a threat.

Naruto couldn't wait until they got to the apartment. That fox had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

**AN:** What do you think? Reviews are appreciated!


	2. Conflicted

Chapter Two: Conflicted

* * *

As promised by the Hokage, when they arrived at Minato's apartment, there was already a crib set up in the guest room. There was also a box with baby clothes, a box with diapers, and a bunch of other supplies that Naruto couldn't believe he would need. Baby bottles, baby clothes, diapers, formula, and even books on how to take care of a baby. Did he really need all of this? Nonetheless, Naruto was grateful for the Hokage for providing the supplies. With Sasuke asleep, he carefully set him in the crib, making sure he was tucked in.

Minato was watching Naruto from the doorway, glancing only briefly over the supplies that the Sandaime had left. Naruto looked ready to pass out. Remembering when he'd brought the man to the hospital that first day, he recalled that he had felt extremely light. Now, he was once again studying the other blond. Naruto's hair, as he noted before, was a few shades darker than his own. His skin was tan, indicating that he'd spent a lot of time outside. The bags underneath his eyes were gone, but he didn't doubt that was because of the week Naruto had slept in the hospital. Those strange whisker marks were the only scars on Naruto, oddly enough, and the sunburst scar on his chest, right where his heart was.

He had seen at the hospital that Naruto healed at a strangely fast rate, too fast to leave scars. So what caused the scar on his chest? What caused the scars on his face? He was sorely tempted to ask, but quickly dismissed it for now. Naruto looked ready to kneel over. "Lunch will be ready in an hour," Minato told him before heading to the kitchen to cook. He wasn't worried about Naruto leaving. He had seals all over his apartment and would know if the man took a step foot out of his apartment. Not to mention Naruto also had those chakra suppressors on him. It didn't mean he was less wary of the other blond.

When Minato left, Naruto couldn't be more grateful. He practically fell to his knees, staring through the bars of the crib at Sasuke. Sasuke was a baby. _A baby_. Why couldn't he wrap his mind around that? Oh yeah, he'd grown up with Sasuke. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself before he had a breakdown, Naruto moved into a meditative pose and tried entering his mindscape-

Only to find himself blocked. Scrunching up his nose, he focused again, and once again was blocked. Why wasn't it working? Why-

Shit. The chakra suppressors. He couldn't contact Kurama because of the suppressors. He was all alone on this. Whatever answers he wanted from the fox would have to wait. Naruto was all on his own and he_ hated_ it. He hated feeling weak, he hated being cut off from his chakra, and he hated that he couldn't reach the only friend he had. He stood up, intending to get away for a while-

A whining noise in the crib stopped him just a few feet shy of the door. Sasuke. He couldn't leave Sasuke. He had promised to protect him, to give him a better life. The concept of raising his own teammate was odd, but then again, being in the past was definitely odd as well. Living with his teenage father, who looked to be the same age as Naruto? That just took the cake. Sighing, he went to the crib and peeked inside to see that Sasuke was sleeping soundly.

Glancing over at the boxes of stuff sent by the Sandaime, Naruto shook his head. Might as well figure out how to do this, right? Opening a box, he found a book on how to take care of a baby and started reading through it. A shadow clone would have been great right now, but thanks to Minato, he couldn't access his chakra. Damned Minato, damned chakra suppressors. Damned fox!

Barley twenty minutes had passed before Sasuke started crying. Naruto set the book down, having gotten quite far in it, and remembered what it said about babies crying. So, Sasuke was either hungry, wanted to be held or.. or needed to have a diaper change.

Facing Pein? Easy. Killing an entire army of Zetsu? Alright. Changing his teammate now son's diaper? ...Naruto felt a bit light headed.

The crying wasn't stopping any time soon, so he picked the baby up with a sigh, checking him over. He looked alright. Sasuke was a healthy weight for a week old child. It was strange, seeing blue eyes where bottomless black use to be, but he guessed it had to do with the jutsu he'd preformed. His blood ran through Sasuke's veins. For all intent and purposes, this child was related to him. Those blue eyes were staring up at him, wide and teary as the baby continued to wail. Might as well get it over with, right?

Laying a blanket on the bed and Sasuke on top of the blanket, Naruto quickly gathered the wipes and a diaper, along with some powder. The silence was getting to him. Usually he and Sasuke would be bantering, and now he was.. changing his diaper.

"Hey, Sasuke. I didn't know you'd be so cute," Naruto just started talking to fill the silence as he got the hospital clothes off of the baby. They had other clothes thanks to the Sandaime, and he'd grabbed a red baby outfit that had a pattern of kunai on it.

"You know, there's no need to cry. I'm here. I'll protect you, Sasuke," He murmured, smiling a bit when Sasuke's wails quieted down, the child staring up at Naruto with wide, blue eyes.

Quickly making work of changing the soggy diaper and grimacing at the mess, Naruto quickly cleaned the baby, dressing Sasuke in the red outfit. He picked the child up, holding him like the nurse had shown him, stroking his dark hair.

"I never thought you'd have my eyes, Sasuke," He said softly, smiling down at his friend. No, his son. This wasn't Sasuke. It was his son now. Those eyes staring up at him were _his_. It was his blood running through Sasuke's veins as well. Naruto swore to himself that as long as he lived, his son would never have to go through what his friend once went through.

Hearing his son cooing, he remembered reading that babies were drawn to bright things. Did Sasuke like his hair? A smile, probably the first real one in months, came to Naruto's face as he held the baby up. Little hands grabbed at his hair and Sasuke began drooling. It hit Naruto then. Sasuke really was a baby. Not a deadly shinobi, but a child in need of love, care and affection. Drawing the child to his chest, he ran a hand through his dark hair and started talking again.

"I hope I can do this right, Sasuke. I never.. had a father before, you know. Being an orphan, I don't know how parents are. I don't know what parents do with their kids. I.. This is a chance to give you a better life than I ever had. I swear, I won't fail you. Kami, I don't know what I'm doing, you know? I really don't," He mused, smiling down at the baby, that was staring up at him, seeming content to listen to him talk.

"I'll probably make a lot of mistakes, Sasuke. So just.. forgive your silly dad when I do, please? I hope I'll do a good job."

He was silent for a moment before a voice broke through the silence.

"You look like you're doing a good job so far."

Minato had heard the baby crying from the kitchen. After remembering how nervous and awkward Naruto had been in the hospital, he'd gone to check on him. Stopping by the door, he'd watched as Naruto picked a red outfit for his son and started talking to him. He'd seen mothers on the streets with their children, and fathers as well. Minato himself had lost his parents during the Second War, and had never thought of having kids before. Watching Naruto, a new father in his own right, handling Sasuke though-

He'd just stood there and watched, noting that Naruto hadn't noticed him there yet. The chakra suppressors were at least working. As he listened, he'd found out that Naruto had been an orphan. He'd found out that Naruto wasn't just a shinobi. He was also a scared father. A teenager who couldn't be any older than Minato, who was only eighteen himself, alone in the world with a son. Right now, Naruto wasn't a shinobi. He was just a man who had nothing, a man that wanted to do best for his son.

So, when Naruto started doubting himself, Minato had felt the need to speak up.

"You look like you're doing a god job so far."

Naruto sat up a bit, tugging Sasuke closer to his chest. He hadn't even sensed Minato. The chakra suppressors seemed to be working just fine then, but he hated it. He hated that he couldn't even sense someone outside of the room. Kami, Sasuke could get hurt and Naruto wouldn't know. He wouldn't be able to do a damned thing about it. Swallowing his worries down for now, he stood up from the bed, turning to face the other.

"What's for lunch?"

"Tempura. Lunch will be ready soon," Minato assured, studying the other man. This had become a strange habit, studying Naruto. It had started when he began visiting the comatose man at the hospital. He'd merely been concerned and a bit curious about the man he'd found. Before he knew it, he'd gone every day and sat at Naruto's side for roughly an hour, studying the sleeping man. Even with Naruto no longer in a coma, that habit had seemed to stick. He took in how small Naruto looked in those clothes, and noted the way he held Sasuke protectively to his chest. He was obviously guarded, nervous, but given the situation it was understandable.

Sasuke began cooing again, drawing Naruto's attention to him. Another smile, one that completely stunned Minato, was aimed at the child. Naruto started rocking the baby in his arms, hoping to get him back to sleep, aware of blue eyes watching his every move. It was strange. He knew Minato didn't want him here, so why was he staying longer than necessary? Did he expect Naruto to do anything? He inwardly scoffed at the very idea. If he did anything, they wouldn't hesitate to take Sasuke away from him.

"What were you doing at the hospital when I woke up? Visiting someone?" Now that he thought about it, why had Minato been there? Naruto had checked; no one had been guarding his room. Did Minato have a friend at the hospital right now? Someone that had been hurt on a mission?

Minato paused at the question, not knowing what to say. He supposed the truth wouldn't hurt. "I was going to visit you. You were in a coma for a week. I've been checking on your condition every day to see if you'd wake."

Naruto paused in his pacing, looking over at Minato. "So in a way, you were spying on me."

Seeing Minato sputter indigently was definitely amusing.

"I was not! I was just-"

"Spying on me," Naruto cut in, a grin coming to his face. If he had to be stuck here, why not have some fun? It was certainly entertaining to see Minato glaring at him.

"I wasn't spying on you! I'm the one that found you both outside of the village!"

"Oh, so you decided to spy on me? I noticed you didn't put up a fight when the Old Man told you to take me in. Are you a stalker too?" It took a lot of effort to keep a straight face when Minato looked ready to snap.

Stalking? Now he was being accused of stalking him? Who did Naruto think he was?

"I am not a stalker!" Minato snapped, just a tad too loudly. The reaction was instant. The loud noise scared Sasuke, who started crying, and earned Minato a vicious glare from Naruto. He felt guilt bubbling in his chest at the sight of Sasuke crying. He never meant to make the child cry, but Naruto had gotten under his skin. For a week, the blond had plagued his thoughts since he'd come across him in the forest.

Minato inwardly cringed when Naruto glared at him as he headed towards him, holding up his hands to try and prove he didn't mean any harm. He could see the indecision on the other blond's face but Naruto finally relented, handing the crying baby to Minato.

"You made him cry, so you can make it up to him. I'm going to finish cooking." Satisfied with the stumped look on Minato's face, Naruto left the room and went to the kitchen to finish dinner.

Minato hadn't expected that reaction. He glanced down at Sasuke and sighed, rocking him in his arms, holding him as he'd seen Naruto doing earlier. After a few moments the crying was down to mere whimpers and he felt a fresh wave of guilt when those big, blue eyes looked up at him. He honestly had no idea what to do with a baby, so he opted for talking with him.

"Ah.. I'm sorry for making you cry, Sasuke," He decided apologizing was a good start. After all, he had been the one to make him cry. Sasuke had quieted down and was now staring at Minato with wide eyes, one of his little hands going into his mouth. Minato smiled at the action. Maybe Sasuke had gotten his dark hair from his mother? Those blue eyes definitely came from Naruto. All week Minato had wondered what color eyes Naruto had. He didn't know why he'd continued to visit the blond. Minato assumed his mission was to observe Naruto for the first few months, and that's what he planned to do.

Oddly enough, Naruto seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve. As wary as he'd been in the hospital, since arriving at his apartment, Naruto seemed to be more open. He obviously cared about his son, and was new to parenthood. Minato had never considered having a parent, though a lot of his friends were pushing him to date Kushina. As great as a friend Kushina was, and as much as he admired her for being the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, she was rather rash and demanding. Honestly, Kushina scared Minato.

Looking at Sasuke, he wondered if Naruto had loved the babies mother. He could tell Naruto loved his son, but what about the mother? Were they together out of obligation, or was the other man heartbroken because of her death? Naruto didn't look any older than Minato himself. It was hard to imagine himself having a child at such a young age and be a shinobi. Sasuke though, he was adorable. Those blue eyes were staring up at him, exactly like Naruto's own, bright and beautiful-

Wait, beautiful? Yes, they were adorable on Sasuke. He had no doubt that in a few years the kid would be able to get whatever he wanted with just one look. But on Naruto? The other blond was certainly different, that was for sure. His hair was a shade darker than Minato's own, and the tanned skin proved that he spent a lot of time outside. Those whisker marked like scars on his face, he wondered about those. Where had they come from?

It took him a while to realize he'd been standing there like an idiot while an unknown shinobi was potentially taking the time to poison his food. Adjusting his hold on Sasuke, he headed to the kitchen, seeing an unexpected sight.

Naruto was standing in the middle of the kitchen, wearing the apron that Minato usually wore when he cooked. It was pink, a prank gift from Kushina last year, though it had it's uses. On Naruto, the apron was a bit big, swallowing up the smaller man.

Naruto was walking around the kitchen, digging through the cupboards for plates, dragging them out while also keeping an eye on their food. Minato let him continue to work, taking a seat at the table and adjusting Sasuke in his arms.

The baby cooed, looking around the room before landing on Minato again. He waved his little hands around, making noises as he squirmed a bit. The sight was adorable, and Minato couldn't help but smile fondly.

"Energetic little thing, aren't you?" He grinned, gently running a hand through his dark hair. The baby gurgled, droll dripping down his chin and the blond let the boy take a hold of his hand.

A plate of food being set in front of him broke Minato out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Naruto staring at Sasuke with a fond look on his face. The other blond sat down and started digging in to his food.

Should he eat it? He'd made the rookie mistake of leaving Naruto alone in his kitchen. It could be poisoned. The logical part of his brain suggested that Naruto wouldn't actually try to poison him, not while his own son was here. Still he was cautious, taking a very small bite and waiting a few moments to see if he would kick over. The food was actually good. He was surprised that Naruto could cook.

"Maybe Sasuke should call you 'Mommy' instead." It was payback for Naruto calling him a stalker earlier and gave him the desired affect. Naruto's face reddened in a blush, blue eyes narrowing in a glare at Minato.

"If my son starts calling me that when he's older, I'll kill you."

"You know, the death threats won't help your case," He pointed out, obviously amused that he could get under Naruto's skin.

"I don't care. If my son starts calling me 'Mommy', I'll kick your as- butt." Naruto quickly amended his mistake. The book had said kids were impressionable, right? Cursing was a no go.

Minato chuckled in amusement, taking another bite of the food while holding Sasuke securely with his other arm.

Naruto continued eating, occasionally glancing at his son. He had to accept it. Sasuke was his son. It was a strange process, but he was slowly accepting it. The child was innocent of all crimes that Sasuke had committed. He deserved a new chance at life, and Naruto would give him that. He'd noticed Minato hesitating earlier when he'd first started eating and huffed indignantly.

"I'm not a bad cook you know! I did grow up alone, so I had to learn how to cook." He'd been able to keep himself and Sasuke healthy enough to fight the last two years of the war, after all. Right now though, with everything going on, Naruto had a very small appetite. He'd barley eaten half of his food and stood up to take the plate to the fridge when a hand catching his wrist stopped him.

"Sit down and eat," Minato ordered, idly wondering why he even cared. He told himself it was because Naruto had a child to take care of and not because the blond was too slim for his liking. "You want to be a shinobi, right? For that to happen, you need to be healthy. Not finishing your food won't help you in any way."

All of his protests died at those words. Minato was right. If he wanted to be a shinobi again, he needed to be healthy. Sasuke depended on him, and so did all of Konoha. Reluctantly Naruto sat down and started eating again, ignoring the victorious look on Minato's face.

Minato had already finished his own food and was busy entertaining Sasuke while also keeping an eye on Naruto to make sure he ate. When Naruto was done eating, Minato handed the baby back to his father, ruffling Sasuke's hair.

"You finished cooking. I can clean," He answered the unspoken question and started picking up their plates, bringing them to the sink.

Naruto nodded, figuring it was only fair. He noticed Sasuke was falling asleep again and started humming a song he remembered hearing in Kusa as he cradled the baby close. Minato listened to Naruto as well, glancing back at the other. Naruto looked exhausted despite having slept for a week straight and was cradling Sasuke against his chest. The baby was sleeping soundly, his father looking close to following him behind.

Minato knew his mission was to gather as much information about Naruto as he could. He'd already gathered a lot, surprisingly, in just one day. The song Naruto was humming was from Kusa, which he guessed was a place the other had visited in his travels. Kazama. He'd never heard of a Kazama clan before, and couldn't pinpoint any distinct features on Sasuke either.

Drying his hands with a towel, he walked over and gently helped Naruto out of the chair, leading him to the guest bedroom after making sure he had a grip on the sleeping baby. Once there, he managed to tug Sasuke from Naruto's arms, laying him in the crib and tucking him in.

"If you need me, my room is right across from this one," Minato said, taking one last look at Naruto before leaving the room.

Once he was sure Minato was gone, Naruto let himself fall onto the bed. He wanted to let it all out, let out everything he was feeling, but-

He couldn't. Not with Sasuke in the room. Slipping out with ease, Naruto headed to the living room and laid on the couch instead, burying his face into one of the pillows. Sasuke was safe and had another chance at life. His friends, his comrades were dead. With nothing holding him back, Naruto let the tears flow down his cheeks. He didn't know when he finally fell asleep.

* * *

That was how Minato found Naruto three hours later; laying on the couch, tear tracks adorning whiskered cheeks and mumbling apologies under his breath in his sleep. He'd checked on Sasuke, nearly panicked when he saw Naruto was gone, and had been prepared to track the blond down. Minato hadn't expected to find him on his couch, having apparently cried himself to sleep. Should he wake him?

Kneeling beside the couch, Minato did what he'd done for the past week. He studied Naruto's face, from the way his blond hair swept over his forehead, to the whisker marks on his cheeks. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to know what they felt like. With Naruto unable to sense him, he gave in to temptation. It was just to satisfy his curiosity, nothing more. His hand went to Naruto's cheek, fingers tracing over the whisker marks lightly. Minato was surprised to find they were completely smooth.

They weren't a scar otherwise they would be raised on the skin. The possibility of them being a tattoo crossed his mind, but they didn't feel or look like one. So were they natural? If so, then they could point to whatever clan Naruto belonged to. Going over the possibilities in his mind, Minato hadn't realized that he was still stroking the whisker marks. He pulled his hand back at the sound of Sasuke crying. Naruto looked exhausted, he decided. Waking him up was out of the question. Gathering a blanket from the hallway, he draped it over the sleeping blond.

As he picked Sasuke up from the crib to calm him down and stared into those wide, blue eyes, Minato thought that maybe, just maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have Sasuke and Naruto staying with him for a while.

* * *

**AN:** Here's the second chapter! Enjoy and reviews are welcome!


	3. Concerns

Chapter Three: Concern

* * *

A month passed by. There was an unspoken peace between the two shinobi in the apartment. Minato still took missions from the Sandaime, but they were never very long. Sometimes he'd be back in time for dinner, his ANBU uniform in a mess, and would find Naruto in the kitchen cooking dinner. Naruto always greeted Minato with a smile, and the ANBU Captain would find himself smiling back.

In that month, Naruto got better at taking care of Sasuke. He slowly but surely learned what Sasuke needed whenever the baby would cry, and what his mood generally was. He wasn't allowed to have a job- not yet, not until Minato thought he could be trusted. However, he did visit the Sandaime often, and Sasuke was always smiling whenever he saw the old man.

Word of Naruto and Sasuke spread around the village rather fast. Everyone wanted to see the pair that the famed Captain had saved from outside of the village. The first time Naruto had stepped out with Sasuke for some air, he was bombarded with questions from villagers, who took an instant liking to both him and Sasuke. It was unreal. It was surreal. Sasuke, he quickly learned, was an energetic child.

Naruto would have never thought of Sasuke as energetic, but whenever the villagers and a few shinobi would coo over him, he would light up and start babbling. His motor skills were improving, which Naruto had read was a good thing. Sasuke was an energetic child. After having lived with the famous Uchiha glare for years, Naruto never thought that Sasuke would be so energetic as a baby. He was always talking and cooing, trying to get a look at everything new whenever they went out.

His favorite thing? Naruto's hair. Naruto found out fast that Sasuke loved to play with his hair. The first time was when he had the baby resting on his shoulder and one of those little hands shot out to a blond lock. It had surprised him when Sasuke immediately started tugging on it and trying to put it in his mouth. When Naruto had made him stop, he'd been on the receiving end of the most tearful blue eyes he'd ever seen. Since then, whenever Sasuke would grab at his hair, Naruto would let him.

Minato found out a lot about Naruto in the next month. The blond was very protective of his son, for one. One time when they were in the village, a chunin had made the mistake of calling Sasuke a 'little bastard' when he'd tried to hold the baby. Not a second later, Naruto had a kunai to his throat and the sweetest smile, daring him to repeat that last statement. Minato had no clue how Naruto had gotten a hold of a kunai, and he was wise enough not to ask. He'd found out that day that Naruto was terrifying, despite having his chakra suppressed.

So, he watched what he said around Sasuke. The first time he'd slipped and cursed in front of the baby, they were sitting down for dinner and he'd been frustrated while writing his report from his last mission. It had been an accident. A slip of a curse word, and Naruto had skillfully thrown a kitchen knife of all things just a few inches from Minato's left hand from where he'd been standing by the fridge. Since then, Minato had never let another curse word slip.

He came to find that he was also growing soft around Naruto. Oh, he'd taken to Sasuke rather fast. The baby loved attention, and seemed to love to be held. It hadn't taken long for Minato to find that he was a sucker for those blue eyes and he was already wrapped around Sasuke's little finger.

A few times he'd come home late, he'd found Naruto sleeping on the couch with Sasuke sleeping on his chest. It had been adorable- too adorable to pass up taking a picture or two.

In his observations, he'd noticed that Naruto was very attentive to Sasuke's needs as well. It must have been a father thing, but the other blond seemed to know exactly when Sasuke needed to be held, fed, changed or put down for a nap. If Naruto wasn't with Sasuke, which was very rarely, he would sometimes find the blond reading a book or, surprisingly, working on seals sometimes. Naruto would answer his questions when he asked, but the answers would be very short and vague. After seeing the seal, he had sat down and tried to start a conversation.

"Where did you learn seals?"

"Here and there."

"Did someone teach you? Were they a Seal Master?"

"My sensei taught a bit, and the rest I picked up along the way. I'm kinda good at them," Naruto had said.

He'd evaded any questions about his teachers, so Minato had assumed he was either protecting whom they were or they were dead. After seeing the pain in Naruto's eyes though, he concluded that they were dead. From the security seal Naruto had been making, he knew that the man was very good a seals. Security seals were more difficult to make than explosive tags or storage seals, and Naruto seemed to be creating it with complete ease.

Naruto was better at seals than he let on, and Minato made a note of it for his report to the Sandaime.

Another observation he'd made the past month was that Naruto seemed to know about the inner workings of Konoha. From following him around the village, he'd noticed that Naruto was very good at guessing where they were going. It didn't make much sense, since he was absolutely sure the blond hadn't ever been in the village before. No one knew who he was, and there certainly wasn't a map of Konoha's inner workings of the city somewhere.

This was a bit concerning to him, but Naruto never showed he was a threat. Sometimes he would wonder around the village and buy a few things for Sasuke. While Sasuke loved the attention he got from the villagers, he'd noticed the look on Naruto's face. He would look sad, almost longing as he looked at some places. Oddly enough, Naruto's favorite place to go to was the Hokage Monument. More than once he'd found the blond sitting on top of the Sandaime's head, staring out at the village with a mixture of emotions. He'd spoken to him then as well, trying to understand why Naruto had that look on his face.

"What do you see when you look at Konoha?" The sun had been setting, and the view from the monument was beautiful. Sasuke was asleep in Naruto's arms, wrapped up in a blue blanket.

"I see peace. A new start, and a place to call home."

They didn't speak the rest of that night.

* * *

A month and two weeks since Naruto had moved in passed by. Naruto had another worry now.

Sasuke was sick.

He'd faced his enemies, looked into their eyes as they died. He'd fought in a war and survived. He'd gone back in time with the help of every Bijuu.

However, Naruto had never been sick before. In eighteen years, he'd never once gotten a single cold, and he'd always attributed that to Kurama keeping his vessel healthy. A weak Jinchuuriki wasn't good. But Sasuke? Sasuke was a baby. Sasuke was vulnerable to getting sick, and now he was.

Naruto had a lot to worry about as it is. Now his son was sick, running a fever, and he had no clue what to do. This wasn't an enemy that Naruto could fight off.

Sasuke was wailing, little tremors running through his body. He had a slight fever and Naruto was scouring the baby books, looking for anything that would help him. When he heard the door open, Naruto had all but dragged Minato into the apartment, to the confusion of his roommate.

"Naruto, what's-"

"Sasuke's sick!" Naruto explained hastily, cradling his son to his chest. "He has a fever and I don't- I don't know what to do, Minato!"

Minato looked down at the wailing child, reaching out to feel his forehead. There was definitely a fever there. Naruto looked so worried, his expression begging for Minato to help him.

"Come on. Let's bring him to the hospital," Minato finally said, deciding that since Naruto had his chakra suppressed, and he definitely wasn't a medic himself, the hospital was their best chance.

After gathering a few things, they were heading to Konoha Hospital.

Once they'd arrived, he nearly had to hold Naruto back from possibly attacking someone. He didn't blame the man though.

Once a nurse finally took Sasuke away to have him examined, Naruto wouldn't stop pacing. He wanted to go in there and be with his baby! He felt horrible for letting Sasuke get sick.

"I've read all of those books! I always put him down for a nap, made sure he ate, and gave him a bath often!"

"Naruto-"

"Kami, how could I let this happen? I'm a horrible parent!"

"Naruto-"

"What if he's really sick? What if this is my fault? What if-"

Minato cut off his rambling by tugging Naruto into a hug, reaching a hand up to ruffle his hair. "Naruto, calm down. Babies get sick. You've surely been sick as a kid, right?" He asked, looking down at the other blond.

"No," Naruto frowned, looking up at Minato. "I've never once been sick before. Ever."

Now that wasn't the answer Minato was expecting. Then again, he remembered how fast Naruto had healed in the hospital a month before. "Is that because of your healing abilities?" He asked, honestly curious.

"Yeah. Broken bones only take a few hours, a day or two at most to heal for me. I've always healed fast."

Seeing that Naruto was calming down a bit, Minato figured out a distraction for him was good. He tugged the other to the chairs in the waiting room and motioned for Naruto to sit down. After a moment, he did.

"We haven't talked that much. So, tell me, what else can you do?" He asked, sitting beside the other.

Naruto glanced at Minato in surprise, thinking it over. "W.. Well, my affinity is Wind. I usually use Wind for when I travel," He said after a few moments. It was harmless information, after all.

"Wind? That's the rarest affinity there is! I'm Wind as well." Minato smiled a bit. Naruto was slowly opening up about himself! It was slow, but it was progress.

"That so?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his head. "That's good. It took me forever to master it." He mused, remembering all of the time it took to learn how to use it. It had been especially helpful in the war, when he and Sasuke had to travel long distances in the shortest amount of time.

"Mastered it? You've mastered it?" Minato was surprised. Wind, being the rarest, took years among years to master. "What else can you do?"

Naruto looked sheepishly at Minato. "Yeah, I have. I traveled around a lot, so I had more than enough practice. What else do you wanna know?"

Minato could have grinned. Naruto was finally giving him a chance to ask questions about him, and opening up!

"Anything you're willing to tell me. Tell me about the places you've been?"

Naruto smiled a bit, thinking the request over. He'd been to a lot of places on his three year journey with Jiraiya. So, he started telling Minato about it. He told him about visiting Kusa and the people he saw. He told him about the beautiful sunflower fields in Kusa, and about traveling to Suna as well.

"The stars in Suna are so beautiful at night. The sunsets here in Konoha are even more beautiful though," He said softly, not noticing the look of amazement on Minato's face.

Minato hadn't expected for Naruto to really open up, but he had. He'd gotten to hear about him traveling around to many places, and the scenery there. He'd seen the serene look on Naruto's face as he spoke of those places, especially Suna. When he was about to ask another question, a nurse came and interrupted.

"Is Sasuke alright?" Naruto refrained from demanding that he go and see his son, though he desperately wanted to.

"Your son is just fine, Kazama-san. He had an ear infection. That's normal for infants at this time. In a few months, he'll start teething, so he may get a few more ear infections. The doctor is prescribing medicine to help," She assured, smiling gently at him. She knew the look of a new parent.

"Other than that, your son is completely healthy! We managed to break his fever, but he'll be irritable when he starts teething. Don't worry about that though, it's still a few months before that happens. You have a beautiful baby, Kazama-san. Just fill out these forms and you can check him out," She said, handing him a few papers.

Naruto sighed in relief, taking the papers and quickly reading them over before signing them at the bottom. "Thank you," He said before standing up and quickly going to where Sasuke was. Minato thanked the nurse and followed after Naruto, stopping by the door. Naruto had found Sasuke and was cradling the sleeping baby close, running a hand through his dark hair. He turned to Minato, smiling apologetically to him.

"I'm sorry about freaking out. This is all just.. new to me. I felt like the worse person in the world when I realized he was sick," Naruto admitted, looking fondly down at his son.

Minato sighed, going over and ruffling Naruto's hair. "You're doing just fine with Sasuke. He's a happy kid. As much as he loves attention, I can tell that he loves your attention the most. Don't worry about it, Naruto. You know.. Sandaime may let me take your chakra suppressors off by the end of this month."

Naruto froze upon hearing that. Chakra. Kurama. Shit.

He knew his mother was the Jinchuuriki of this time. His mind went through every possibility by now of what would happen when the suppressors came off. "I need to speak with Sandaime before that happens." He said firmly, looking up at Minato. "Please."

The request was surprising. He thought that Naruto would have been happy about it. He'd been here a month and two weeks already and would have his chakra back by the end of the month. When that happened, he may be able to get a job. The look on Naruto's face wasn't one of happiness- it was distress and concern.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. For now, Sasuke needs to rest and so do you." He didn't give him much of a chance to complain, wrapping an arm around Naruto's shoulder and leading him out of the hospital.

On the way home, Minato was concerned about Naruto's reaction.

Naruto, however, was concerned about what would happen to himself- and his mother- when the chakra suppressors were gone. He would have to tell the Sandaime the truth about himself and Sasuke before then.

* * *

**AN:** I'm so, so, so sorry this chapter is so short! My brain hit a roadblock! If anyone believes they can help me on this story, I would be grateful for it! I just need someone to brainstorm with me on this. If anyone is interested in doing that, then just send me a PM!


	4. Truth and Lies

**AN:** A few of you have asked if Sasuke will remember anything. Right now, he is two and a half months old. Right now, he is a dependent, normal child. I intend to keep this story going for a long time. Maybe when he gets older, he may remember, he may not. I've not decided yet. Minato and Naruto's relationship is new right now as well. New and fragile. They're still learning about each other, and Naruto is focused on Sasuke as well as other problems. He's scared of getting close to anyone. He's been through two years of war, seen everyone he loves die and all he has is Sasuke.

Things will be revealed to the Sandaime in this chapter. Things will come to light to Kushina and Minato as well. To find out those things, you'll just have to read this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy! This chapter will probably be the longest yet. I appreciate the reviews!

I don't want my fanfic to be like Escape Artist. That is a lovely fanfic that I adore, and I've seen many variations of MinaNaru fanfics exactly like Escape Artist. While my fanfic is generic with timetravel, I'm putting my own spin on the timetravel storyline as you can see. I appreciate all of your reviews, and I'm sorry about how slow I've been with updating the past few days. I promise, it'll get better from here on out!

* * *

Chapter Four: Truth and Lies

* * *

Naruto's request to see the Hokage for an urgent meeting came three days later. For three days, Naruto thought through every scenario of what revealing the truth could mean. He could be thrown in T&amp;I. He could be executed. Separated from Sasuke even. Every scenario was worse than the last, but it would be even worse for the truth to be revealed and to be tangled up in a web of lies. Putting himself at risk was putting Sasuke at risk.

Privacy seals were up, the ANBU guard gone, leaving only Naruto, the Hokage, and Sasuke in the room. Sasuke was there because this meeting involved him as well, as the Sandaime would soon find out. Naruto had assured Minato that he would be fine, and no, he didn't need to be there for the meeting. He didn't want Minato to find out the truth as well. Too many people knowing could put a rift in the timeline. One small drop could create a ripple affect; even telling the Sandaime could lead to unpredictable consequences.

Sarutobi for his part, was concerned. Over the past two months, he'd grown fond of Naruto in a way. The blond man would come to his office with lunch, babbling about his day and bringing Sasuke for a visit. According to Minato's reports, Naruto seemed to be grieving. Whether it was for the loss of Sasuke's mother or someone else, he didn't know. Sometimes, he would see great pain in those expressive blue eyes. Right now, those eyes were ridden with pain, and yet, determination as well. Sasuke was sleeping soundly, cradled to Naruto's chest and wrapped in a soft blue blanket.

Getting attached to these two had been easy. Naruto had drawn Sarutobi in with his open personality, and Sasuke? The baby was a curious boy and a joy to see outside of his paperwork. Growing attached to these two had been easy, and yet it was dangerous as well. A double edged sword. Whatever this meeting was about, Sarutobi just hoped that Naruto wasn't a spy.

"Speak, Naruto-kun. What do you wish to speak about?" Sarutobi asked kindly, unable to help it around the blond man.

"The truth, Hokage-sama. Certain circumstances have come to my attention and the truth is better to be told than a lie." Straight to the point. Naruto could see the man slipping into the role of Hokage, his eyes narrowing at him.

"Speak." A command, not a request.

It was a command that Naruto followed. He started the story from Uchiha Obito's 'death' that would happen at the Kannabi Bridge in a few years. From there on, he told the Hokage of Madara surviving the fight against Hashirama, taking Obito and experimenting on the boy in his weakened state. He told him of his parents, Minato and Kushina, and of the night of his own birth.

Sarutobi listened attentively. He wanted to dismiss this story as just that; a story. A lie fabricated by a crazy man, and yet, he couldn't. Naruto seemed to know too much about things. He didn't interrupt; just listened. He listened to the story of a burden being thrust onto a baby. Of a massacre of the Uchiha that happens when Sasuke is merely seven years old by the boy's own brother. The story continues on. Hearing about his own death is strange, but he doesn't interrupt.

The story continues. Two boys, merely Genin at the time, fighting against each other at the Valley Of the End. A betrayal, one that parallels Hashirama and Madara's own history. It continues on of the two boys taking different paths; one that leads to revenge and eventually the death of his own brother, which fuels the hatred inside of the boy. A path of a boy, who at merely sixteen years old, manages to gain the respect of the Kyuubi and control it's chakra.

He learns of his own death by the hands of his own student. Of Jiraiya dying by his own students hands as well. Of Naruto defending Konoha against a threat. Of a group that captures the Jinchuuriki for their Bijuu. Of the war that comes, and the death that follows. So much goes wrong in the future. The villages fall, the shinobi dying one by one until Naruto and Sasuke are left, joined together against Madara.

"Sasuke took a fatal blow for me. I managed to defeat Madara, but for what? There was _nothing_ left. _Everyone_ was dead, the villages laid to waste and nothing was left. Sasuke was dying, and the Bijuu, they all gave me a chance to make things right. I had no choice. Sasuke was dying at my feet, and I had to do it. The next thing I remember, I'm waking up in a hospital here in Konoha. My father is my age, Sasuke is a baby and my _son_ no less! I had to lie to you. I had to protect Sasuke until I figured everything out. With the chakra suppressors on, I can't talk to Kurama. If they're removed, I could either lose him, or my mother will lose him. Jiji, I don't know what to do."

Naruto is exhausted. The story took nearly two hours to tell, and it's only noon. He's anxious, worried about the Sandaime's reaction. Hearing it from himself, the story sounds impossible. He shifts his hold on Sasuke, bringing the baby closer if only to assure himself that this is all real. He never thought that he'd miss Kurama as badly as he did now.

_He's only eighteen_, Sarutobi notes. Only eighteen, yet he survived two years of war, so many more years fighting against an impossible situation, and he's only eighteen. One look into Naruto's eyes and all of his doubts are gone. Naruto, for being the good Shinobi he is, has expressive eyes. Every one of his emotions are laid out to be read, and he can tell that what he's spoken is the truth. This boy - no, this man - has gone through so much. He's lost right now. In a time that's not his own, in a situation that should be impossible but apparently isn't, and he has no clue what to do. The board is laid out, but he's cornered.

When he woke up today, Sarutobi never imagined this situation. He set his pipe down, looking at the exhausted expression on Naruto's face. An eighteen year old boy shouldn't have such a burden on his shoulders.

"Listen to me, Naruto-kun. You've done the right thing, telling me the truth. You are not alone now, Naruto-kun. I will help you in any way that I can. The issue with the fox - Kurama, was it? It is a problem. Uzumaki Kushina is the current Jinchuuriki. What do you wish to do? If you lose the fox, you could die. If she loses it, since her seal is far different from your own, she could live."

Naruto was silent. Stunned, more than anything. He hadn't expected for the Hokage to believe him. It feels like a weight has been taken off of his shoulders, and he relaxes into the chair.

"We should at least tell her that I'm the new Jinchuuriki. We can make up a story. Tell her that I had part of it's chakra planted in me when I was born. That it was done by people who wanted to use me as a weapon, but it backfired. Ero-sennin - Jiraiya-sensei, he taught me that telling half truths and mixing in lies was the best way to lie. Besides, she deserves to know what she'll be losing. I'd be kinda freaked out if the furball disappeared from me one day too."

It was a risk, they both knew it. Telling Kushina meant informing Minato as well. Not to mention, it meant telling the council. Sarutobi was not looking forward to such a meeting. However, he didn't have to tell them either. The civilian council were just that- civilians that had no affairs in how he handled his shinobi. From what he learned from Naruto, the council later stripped him of a great deal of power in the future. Well, that would not happen this time.

"Very well. It is your choice, Naruto-kun. Do you wish to still be known as Kazama Naruto?"

"Of course, Jiji! If you don't mind, I want to get this done as soon as we can. Preferably today or tomorrow? I need to talk to Kurama about Sasuke."

"Ah, yes. Sasuke. You said he was an Uchiha, yet the blood tests at the hospital confirmed he was your son. What does that mean?"

"He's my son. Sasuke's eyes use to be black, just like every other Uchiha. He has my eyes, my blood, and probably even my chakra. That's why I want to get this over with already. I need to talk to Kurama."

The paperwork that was going to take creating a life for Naruto was sure to give him a headache. Sarutobi knew he was right. The sooner they learned what happened from the fox, the better for everyone. "Alright. I will send for Minato-kun and Kushina-san. You've given me a lot to think about, Naruto-kun. Quite a lot to ponder about. For now, letting you speak to Kurama is the best option."

It had been so easy. Naruto was shocked at how easily the Hokage had believed his story. All of his worries were for nothing, it seemed. Then again, the Hokage wasn't known as the Professor for nothing.

They spent the next few hours talking. Naruto gave him his identification number, and provided proof in the form of secure information that only a Hokage would know. Sarutobi had sent for someone to retrieve Kushina and Minato in the meantime while they came up with a solid background for Naruto.

Four hours later, a knock on the door startled Naruto. He was busy feeding Sasuke as the baby had woken up from his nap. He hadn't expected this to happen so fast. It was almost too fast, but this needed to be done. When the Hokage, opened the door, Naruto mentally prepared himself.

* * *

Kushina had been summoned to the Hokage's office at exactly four in the afternoon. She assumed it was for a mission- what else could it be? On the way there, however, she had ran into Minato as well. She had known Minato since she entered the Academy when she came here. Often, she had been bullied because she was originally from Uzushio, and called an outsider. Her red hair didn't help her situation either. However, her quick temper and handling of the bullies earned her quite a reputation.

At first, she had thought Minato was a pansy. A sissy boy that couldn't beat anyone. However, after the incident with Kumo, she had grown to find herself loving him. Not that the oblivious idiot even realized it.

"Minato! You were called there too?" She asked, keeping in step with him. "I haven't seen you around much the past two months! Where have you been, dattebane?!"

Minato laughed a bit nervously. Honestly, Kushina sometimes scared him with her temper. She was a great friend to have, one of the only women in the village not part of his fan club. It was because of Kushina that he had became interested in Fuuinjutsu. Minato considered her as one of his best friends, if not his best friend.

"I'm sorry, Kushina. I've been busy with a new assignment lately." She looked skeptical but accepted it as they reached the doors to the Hokage's office. Knocking on the door, they stepped inside.

Minato was surprised to see Naruto there. Was this about the meeting he had with the Hokage? If so, why was Kushina here?

Kushina didn't know who the other blond was. He looked a lot like Minato, but those whiskers were a dead giveaway. The baby in his arms looked like an Uchiha at first, but then she noticed the blue eyes that were exactly like the blond man's. Were they related somehow?

Closing the door, Sarutobi set up the privacy seals once again and motioned for his two shinobi to sit down.

"Minato-kun, you already know Naruto-kun. Kushina-san, this is Kazama Naruto and his son Sasuke," He introduced, deciding to start out simple. This next part would not be easy.

"From today on, Naruto-kun will be the new Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

The reaction was instant. Kushina whirled around, staring at Naruto in shock while Minato stared blankly at the other blond. "What do you mean the new Jinchuuriki, dattebane?! That's impossible!" Minato and Kushina stared at the Hokage, both silently demanding answers.

"I understand your shock. It came as a shock to me as well, but let me explain first." It was not a request, and the two Jounin understood that. "I've found out information on Naruto-kun. Please, sit down Kushina-san and listen."

Reluctantly, the red head sat down but shot Naruto a glare. Minato was wary but willing to listen so he could understand what was going on.

When everyone was calm, Sarutobi started telling the story he and Naruto had come up with.

"On the day Naruto-kun was born, a small faction of people wished to turn him into a weapon. They had a portion of the Kyuubi's chakra locked away, apparently. How they had such a thing, my sources could not find out. When Naruto-kun was born, the chakra was sealed into him. However, there was price- his own father used a forbidden seal. The Reaper Death Seal, giving his own life to seal the vile chakra into him. I learned this from one of the caretakers from the orphanage Naruto-kun lived in. The faction was quickly taken care of, and Naruto-kun raised in an orphanage. He was shunned. Abandoned and seen as a monster for the burden he held into him. Naruto-kun informed me that he did not know what he held until he was twelve, when he first encountered the beast. As he grew and traveled, he founded a bond with the Kyuubi. Kushina-san, he did not know you were also the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. He just knew he held a portion of the fox inside of him."

Sarutobi stopped, letting them both absorb what he'd told them. It was as Naruto had said; the best lie was one that was created of half truths and lies. After letting them take it in, he continued speaking.

"We have a concern right now. His seal specifically allows him to access and draw on the Kyuubi's chakra. Your seal, Kushina-san, does not. If his chakra suppressors are removed, he may draw out the Kyuubi from you. Minato-kun has observed and reported on Naruto-kun the past two months. I do not believe he is a threat. I do believe he only wishes to protect this village and for it to be his new home. If we remove his suppressors, you must accept that he may draw in the Kyuubi from you and you will no longer be the Jinchuuriki."

Minato's mind was reeling. A lot of things suddenly made sense. Naruto was always withdrawn and willing to tell only so much about himself. His own father had sealed that vile chakra into him? What kind of monster tried to make his own son into a weapon? Naruto had lied to him about this. He never told Minato that he carried such a burden, and he understood why to an extent. He'd lived with Naruto for two and a half months though. Did this mean that Naruto didn't trust him?

Kushina stayed silent, reviewing what she'd been told. She had came to this village to become the next Jinchuuriki after Mito-sama had died. She had given up a life in her own village to take on such a burden. Now, this boy that she'd never heard of before was going to take the burden away. She didn't know how to feel. Guilty, because he would take it all on his own? Mad, because this boy had been used when he was just a baby to be turned into a weapon? Her own seal kept the fox locked away. However, Naruto's seal was designed to let him draw on the chakra. Just like a weapon, no doubt. How had he survived this long with that burden? It would kill him if the chakra was taken out of him. Could she allow this boy to take on the burden on his own?

"It's alright," Naruto suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. He was staring at Kushina, taking his mother in. She was beautiful. Strong and beautiful, just as he remembered when he first met her in the seal. "I don't mind taking the fur ball on. I've lived eighteen years with the fur ball. In fact, we've gotten along pretty well. He'd probably be grumpy if he was taken away from me." It was a poor attempt at a joke. Shifting Sasuke so the baby rested on his shoulder, he smiled a bit when he heard his son cooing and saw him reaching for his hair.

Alright? Kushina didn't see how this was 'alright'. Not only would he be taking on the Kyuubi, he had a son to raise! She stood up, walking over to Naruto and stopping in front of him. Looking into his eyes, she saw sincerity. He was completely alright with taking this on. It wasn't as if either of them had a choice, really. Looking from Naruto to his son, she finally leaned down, pulling a very confused blond into a hug.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you," Kushina said softly. She was sorry. She was sorry that he had been forced with such a burden as a baby. She was sorry that he would have to take this on. She was sorry that she couldn't even stop it.

"I.. It's okay, really! I actually like the fur ball, so I don't mind!" Naruto stammered, confused and feeling his face flush at the unexpected hug. He felt Sasuke begin to squirm, the baby drawing Kushina's attention.

"This is your son? Sasuke, right?" She asked, smiling when Naruto turned the baby around. Big blue eyes, exactly like his fathers, stared back at her.

"May I?" Naruto didn't even hesitate, handing Sasuke to Kushina. Sasuke cooed, reaching for her red hair, his eyes wide as he stared up at her.

"You won't be alone through this, Kazama-san. I'll help you through whatever you need. It's the least that I can do," Kushina promised, gently rocking Sasuke though she kept her gaze on Naruto.

"T.. Thank you," Naruto said softly, surprised by how sincere Kushina was. Then again, she was the only one that could understand what he was going through when it came to being a Jinchuuriki. "I really appreciate it."

Sarutobi was pleased that this went so well. Minato was oddly silent, but Kushina seemed to have accepted everything. It was more than what he could have hoped for. "We will be removing Naruto-kun's chakra suppressors tomorrow. We will have you two in the hospital, monitored so nothing can go wrong. Do either of you have a problem with that?" At their assurance that they were fine with the decision, Sarutobi nodded.

"Good. I have paperwork to do, so you are all dismissed. Be at the hospital tomorrow at six in the morning. You are all dismissed."

* * *

After leaving the office, they found themselves at Ichiraku's Ramen stand. Naruto and Kushina had gotten along rather well. Kushina reminded Naruto of what he was like before the war. She was so full of life, vibrant and beautiful, if a little rash. Sasuke had no shortage of attention from them both, Kushina especially. She found the child absolutely adorable, cooing at him and constantly holding him.

"Who was her mother?" Kushina asked as she fed the baby when he grew fussy.

"Her.. Her name was Sakura," Naruto murmured, reaching over and stroking Sasuke's hair from his eyes. "We were good friends. Just friends. We never meant.. to have Sasuke. One night, and it just happened. She.. died during childbirth."

Minato hadn't said much since leaving the office. He felt hurt that Naruto hadn't confided such a secret to him, even though the rational part understood that Naruto had to be use to keeping such a secret. Just when he thought he was close to figuring out the blond, he was thrown for a loop again. He was an ANBU Captain, and yet this man who had come into his life had taken over his thoughts. Naruto was a mystery that he couldn't figure out. Just when he thought he had the answer, something new would come up.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Kushina was sympathetic towards the blond. Apparently, he had been through a lot in his short life. She couldn't imagine what it was like, having to control that chakra on his own. On top of all that, he had to raise a son on his own as well. She was suspicious- a lot of things about Naruto didn't make much since - but she would trust the Sandaime's judgement as well. If the Sandaime trusted Naruto, then Kushina would trust him too.

"Just Naruto is fine," He insisted, smiling a bit. It was nice, not having to lie to his mother. She deserved to know what would be happening to the fox, and in turn, Kushina appreciated being told the truth about what would be happening.

Handing Sasuke back to Naruto, Kushina briefly pulled her new friend into a hug. "You should get some rest for tomorrow. We're both going to need it. Where are you staying?"

"Ah, I'm.. staying with Minato right now," Naruto admitted, wrapping a blanket around Sasuke so the baby was bundled up properly.

Well, that answered Kushina's question on where Minato had been the past two months. She looked at her long time friend and crush, smiling at him. "Take care of Naruto and Sasuke for me, Minato." Despite having just met Naruto, there was something about him that drew Kushina in. She felt that the Sandaime was telling the truth when he said that Naruto didn't mean any harm to the village. With that said, Kushina headed to her own apartment to get some much needed rest.

The walk home was awkward. Minato had yet to speak a word to Naruto since learning about the Kyuubi. Entering the apartment, Naruto went to set Sasuke in his crib for the night, since the baby had fallen asleep. He managed to catch up to Minato before the blond could retire to his own room, grabbing his arm in the hallway.

"What's wrong with you, Minato? You haven't said a word about any of this." Naruto's heart nearly skipped a beat when piercing blue eyes turned towards him.

"What's wrong? You never told me about that, Naruto. You didn't tell me that you had such a burden on your shoulders. You've lived here for two and a half months now, and you didn't tell me." It was stupid, being angry about this. Minato knew it was stupid, but he felt hurt that Naruto had kept something like this from him.

"Well excuse me for not telling you! How did you expect me to say that? 'Oh, hey, I have a giant fox in my gut'! Yeah, that would have gone over really well," Naruto snapped, getting angry himself. "I don't see why you're upset about this."

"You don't see why I'm upset? You could have told me, Naruto! You could have trusted me and not held this in on your own!"

"I've always had to deal with it on my own! It's not a big deal to me! I can do this on my own, Minato!"

"That's the point!" Minato had never raised his voice before now. "You're not alone, Naruto! I'm here and you don't have to do this on your own anymore! All I ask is that you trust me. That's all I ask. Trust that I won't leave you. Trust me when I say I won't abandon you, that I'll be here for you!"

Naruto had no clue what to say to that. He thought that Minato had only taken him in because the Sandaime had ordered him to. Minato didn't owe him anything, so why was he asking for Naruto's trust? Why would he be willing to make such a promise?

"Why?" One question, yet his eyes were asking a million others. Minato's gaze softened and he sighed, gently wrapping his arms around Naruto's shoulders and puling him into a hug. He felt the smaller blond stiffen for a few moments but Naruto relaxed when he realized it was just a hug.

"You've had a hard life. You had a demon forced into you when you were just a baby, and had to deal with that on your own. You have a son you love and want to protect. I understand why you didn't tell me the truth. I do. You were worried, right? About our reaction?" Minato knew how Jinchuuriki were seen, and from hearing how Naruto was treated in that orphanage, he figured that he would have issues with trusting easily. Naruto nodded, not trusting himself to speak right now.

"You were scared, and you wanted to protect your son. I don't see you as the demon, Naruto. I know the difference between a kunai and a scroll. You're going to be saving Kushina from her burden. You're protecting the village just by taking it on. I would never condemn you for that. Kushina will keep your secret, and so will I. I'm pretty sure the Sandaime will as well. I- We won't let anyone hurt you or Sasuke. So you just have to trust us. Trust me. Please."

Naruto had spent the last two months keeping to himself. He'd tried keeping Minato at arms length, and gave as little about himself away. He'd admit, he was terrified of getting attached to anyone here. This wasn't his timeline. These weren't the people he grew up with. Sasuke was the only familiar thing, and he was beginning to see the baby as his son the more time he spent with him. Yet here Minato was, offering what Naruto always wanted- acceptance. He accepted Naruto, despite the Kyuubi. He accepted him, despite the fact that Naruto had been pushing him away.

His resolve was crumbling. It had begun when the Sandaime believed him that morning, and only gave way more when Kushina accepted him. Now, Minato was offering unconditional.. trust? Companionship? Whatever it was, Naruto could feel his resolve giving way. Two months with no one, unable to speak with Kurama, and now he had people he could rely on.

"Thank you." That was all Naruto could say. He didn't think there were even words that could show how much he appreciated what Minato was offering to him. Burying his face into the man's neck, Naruto let go.

Minato didn't say anything when he felt his shirt become wet from tears. He could feel Naruto trembling in his arms, most likely letting everything he'd held in for years finally ago. Sometimes, people had to let go and Naruto was at the end of whatever rope he was holding on to. Minato was strong enough to be the pillar of strength for them both. He held Naruto, not judging the man for letting it go. When he ran out of tears, Naruto was exhausted. Truthfully, he'd spilled tears for a long time already. He'd cried for his dead comrades during the war, but this was the first time he'd cried since arriving in this timeline.

Pulling away a bit, Naruto wiped at his eyes, muttering a soft 'Thanks' under his breath. Minato saw how exhausted Naruto was. Those blue eyes, usually so full of life, looked dull. Naruto looked older than his actual age, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"You should get some rest," Minato murmured, wiping a stray tear from a whiskered cheek. He assumed the whiskers were the influence of the Kyuubi's chakra sealed into Naruto at such a young age. Well, that was one mystery about Naruto solved. When he went to pull away, he was surprised to feel a hand wrapping around his wrist.

"I don't want to be alone tonight," Naruto admitted, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. He suddenly regretted the words. Minato had done so much for him already, and he asked such a thing? He went to pull back, about to apologize when Minato suddenly grabbed his hand, tugging him across the hall.

How could he have said no to that? Minato didn't think it was possible, honestly, not when Naruto asked like that. It was progress. Slow, but progress nonetheless. He didn't intend to leave Naruto alone since the other had asked. He'd seen the hesitance in those expressive eyes and had reacted, bringing Naruto to Sasuke's room. The bed was big enough for both of them, really.

"Get ready for bed, alright? I'll be here in a few minutes," Minato instructed when he let Naruto's hand go, giving him a soft smile at the look on his face. "I promise." With that said, he left to his own room to change into some pajamas.

Naruto hadn't expected for the other blond to agree. He'd felt foolish for asking such a request, but yet again, he'd been surprised by the shinobi. When Minato had left, Naruto changed into some pajamas and checked on Sasuke, making sure the baby was alright. Sasuke was sound asleep, laying on his back, wrapped up in a soft red blanket. Gazing down at his son, Naruto didn't hear Minato enter the room a few minutes later.

He nearly jumped when he felt a pair of arms wrapping around his waist. "You're a good father," Minato murmured, gently easing Naruto to the bed. "You do really well with Sasuke, you know. I'm here to help with him as well. You don't need to do this on your own."

"I know," Naruto sighed, getting into bed, leaving more than enough room for the other blond, who immediately laid down next to him. "I know. I'm just use to doing things on my own."

"Well, you don't have to do stuff on your own anymore," Minato promised, taking a chance and pulling the smaller man to his chest, an arm wrapped protectively around his waist. "Sleep, Naruto. I'll keep you safe. You're not alone anymore."

Strangely enough, he believed the other man. Naruto relaxed after a few moments, soon burying his face into Minato's chest. It took only a few minutes for exhaustion to take him over, and he was soon fast asleep.

Minato stayed up a little longer, listening to the soft breathing of the smaller blond in his arms. Whatever Naruto had been through in his life, it had affected him greatly. He resolved to keep him safe, no matter the challenges. Two and a half months was all it took for the smaller man to draw him in and throw his life into turmoil. Whatever came, Hell or high water, Minato was going to keep Naruto and Sasuke safe. Starting tomorrow morning, their lives would change, but whether it was for better or worse, they had yet to know.

* * *

AN: Yep, longest chapter so far. What do you guys think? Reviews are appreciated!


	5. Demons Within

**AN:** Thank you for the reviews! I love Kushina as a character. She will continue to remain a great friend to Naruto. She knows the burden of being a Jinchuuriki, after all. Naruto will be taking that burden from Kushina, giving her a chance to have a family without worrying about the fox breaking out. She can emphasize with him. Now, on Minato and Naruto's romance. That will slowly develop later on. Minato doesn't realize his own feelings right now. Naruto's feelings are a mess as well. He's going to have to accept a lot of things before he can think of romance, but Kushina and Minato will be there to help him heal. Especially Minato. It will be a slow burn type of romance between Minato and Naruto. Naruto has a ton of obstacles in his path from now on he'll have to overcome.

Kurama is showing up in this chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Five:** Demons Within

* * *

The hospital was quiet. At six in the morning, five people were in one of the secluded rooms. Minato was putting up seals to strengthen the walls in case something went wrong, as well as others that would keep what was going to happen discrete. The Sandaime was holding Sasuke, keeping the baby occupied. He'd been assured by Naruto that due to the war, Sasuke had been in contact with Kurama's chakra and thus, would not be affected by it. Sarutobi had his own suspicions that Sasuke may have some of Kurama's chakra inside of him as well, but that would only be confirmed as the child grew older.

Kushina would no longer be the Jinchuuriki as of today. Naruto would be taking on the burden of being the Jinchuuriki for Konoha from now on. Two hospital beds were in the room, with Kushina on one, hooked up to machines to monitor her, and Naruto on the other.

"Are we clear on what will happen today?" Sarutobi asked, looking between both Jinchuuriki. Naruto and Kushina nodded their affirmative. One would lose their burden, and the other would gain a greater burden. It all depended on their will power and their seals.

After Naruto had stripped out of his shirt, Minato used a few hand signs, removing the chakra suppressors. Immediately, he backed to where the Sandaime was.

Nothing happened for a few minutes. The silence ticked by, the air thick with tension.

Then, it happened. Like an exploding tag going off, red chakra burst from Kushina's and Naruto's bodies. Minato quickly created a barrier between the chakra with a few seals, separating himself, the Sandaime and Sasuke from the two Jinchuuriki.

The seals on their stomachs looked to be glowing almost. Naruto's features became more feral, his whiskers darkening as his eyes bled into red. The chakra coming from Kushina was vile, thick with evil intent while the chakra from Naruto seemed more like a purified version of it.

"It's fighting. Their chakra- No, both of the fox's are fighting! Kami," Minato breathed. He'd never seen anything like it. The two red chakra's were visibly fighting, one trying to overpower the other. He heard Naruto scream and rushed to help, only to be stopped by Sarutobi.

"We can't do anything, Minato-kun. It's up to them now."

Minato hated it. He could tell Naruto was in pain. Kushina, she looked to be unconscious from it all. The Sandaime was right. This fight wasn't one he could help with. Reluctantly, he stood by the Sandaime, hoping that Naruto would win against that evil chakra.

* * *

Naruto had never had his mindscape connected with another persons before. His and Kushina's minds were connected, and he could see the battle going on. His Kurama, while smaller because he was only half of the other, was fighting against Kushina's own fox.

"Kami," Kushina breathed from beside Naruto, her hand gripping onto his shoulder. As soon as their chakra's recognized each other in the hospital, their fox's began fighting.

"My seal is strong, Kushina. We can't get involved," Naruto murmured, his gaze calculating as he watched the fight.

Kushina's fox had broken out of it's chains, and he was _angry._

Naruto remembered something like this happening before. Watching two giant fox's going against each other in that parallel world had been strange. He knew it was up to his Kurama to win this, but Kami. If this fight ever got out into the real world, it would level Konoha in minutes.

Their mindscapes were being destroyed. Naruto could feel the mental weight of this battle- it was like when he had fought Kurama himself to conquer the demon's chakra.

Kushina was frozen in fear, having never seen anything like it. The fox's were vicious, tearing at each other, their tails whipping dangerously. Tailed beast bombs were being blown towards one another, both trying to force the other to submit.

Naruto's eyes snapped up when he noticed a beast bomb coming their way. In an instant, he grabbed Kushina and brought her to his memories, deeper into his own mind, far away from the battle.

"It's alright, Kushina," He said, noticing she had closed her eyes during the attack. When she heard Naruto's voice, Kushina opened her eyes- to find they were at the Valley Of The End. Where were they? She had never gone into her own mind before, yet this.. wasn't her mind.

_"I will drag you back to, even if I have to break every bone in your body to do it!"_ A young boy's voice caught her attention. Looking up, she saw a younger looking Naruto, fighting against-

Naruto quickly cut the memory off before she could see any more, the Valley disappearing into a storage room. She didn't need to see that.

"Are these your memories?" Kushina asked when she finally had her bearings, standing up and looking around the room. There seemed to be thousands of scrolls everywhere. Naruto nodded, grabbing her hand before she could try to open any of them.

"Yeah. I figured we would be safer here than watching those two fight. You've never been in your own mind like this?" He asked curiously, figuring that distracting her seemed to be a good idea.

"No. I've never had to go into my mind like this." Kushina was itching to take a look at his memories. This was probably the closest Naruto had ever let anyone get to seeing the real him.

"That memory from earlier. That was the Valley, but that doesn't make sense, dattebane! You've never been to Konoha, so what was going on?" She wanted to know who Naruto was trying to bring back. She wanted answers!

Naruto sighed, running a hand over his face. "My friend. We were genin and he.. abandoned me. Betrayed me. It was a long time ago, Kushina." He couldn't very well show her that memory. Instead, Naruto picked out a scroll and opened it before she could say anything.

Sand was the first thing Kushina noticed. They were in Suna, and Naruto looked to be around sixteen, walking around the markets of Suna peacefully. Naruto kept her occupied, showing Kushina memories of the places he'd been. The sunflower fields in Kusa, the beautiful country of Wave.

Kushina had no idea what to say. Naruto's memories were breathtaking. Beautiful. Yet, she could tell that each one had an underlying amount of pain as well. She had calmed down from seeing their two Bijuu's fighting. The memory they were viewing suddenly cut off, and she looked over towards Naruto, seeing a serious expression on his face.

"We have to go and help now," Naruto said, reaching out for her hand. "Ready to take your demon down?"

_How could he be so calm?_ They were about to go off and fight against the strongest Bijuu locked away inside of her. She looked at Naruto, seeing no panic or fear in his eyes. Her own resolve strengthened. If they lost, Naruto would _die,_ yet he wasn't scared of that concept. He was willing to fight for his life. Well, Kushina wouldn't let him face that demon alone. It was her burden as well, one that she needed to face.

Taking his hand, she felt a pull and found them in what looked to be a battleground. Their mindscapes had changed. Instead of endless white, they were now in what looked to have been an open field of grass. The skies were grey, and the ground was completely destroyed with the fight.

Her demon looked ready to attack yet again, but-

Thousands of Naruto clones suddenly jumped onto the beast. _Thousands of them,_ Kushina's mind supplied. He had jumped onto the demon without any fear of his own life.

She rushed in, her chakra chains wrapping around the fox, holding him down.

**"It's about time you came, Kit!"** A booming voice had Kushina looking to her right. It seemed Naruto's own demon had showed up, and Naruto? He was sitting on the fox's head, looking completely calm with the situation.

"Oh, calm down, fur ball! Kushina, keep him down while we finish this, okay?" Naruto called, his hands rushing through signs so fast that she couldn't keep up. She nodded, sending out more chains when her own demon tried getting up.

"Stay down, dattebane! Naruto, whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!" Kushina would hold this demon down. Naruto's life depended on this! He was giving it his all, and she wouldn't fail him.

"Kurama, take him out," Naruto murmured, working on his own seal already. He was changing it, weaving signs flawlessly, making it stronger, more secure for the added chakra.

**"You don't have to tell me twice, Kit,"** Kurama growled and pounced onto his counterpart, his teeth digging into the throat while his tails started melding with the other Bijuu. They were finally, finally mixing together into one being.

Kushina held her own demon down, watching the process as Naruto's own Bijuu started morphing with her own. She had never seen anything like it, and probably wouldn't see anything like it again.

Just as the two became one, Naruto jumped onto the demon, his hands glowing as he gripped onto it. The seal he had been working on came together, all of the chakra condensing into a ball-

It rushed into Naruto's body, both inside of his mindscape and on the outside in the real world.

Kushina stood up slowly, the mindscape around them crumbling away. Instead of a battleground, they were in what looked to be a sewer. Naruto's own mind. She turned around, expecting to see the fox caged, except- he wasn't. The fox was standing with no cage holding it in, one of it's paws curled around Naruto protectively.

The seal, she could see it above them, was beautiful. Strong. It would hold.

"Is it over?" Kushina asked the demon, who looked much less.. violent than before.

Kurama turned his gaze onto the woman before him. His previous container. He nodded, looking back down at Naruto.** "Yes, it's over. I've won. Thank you for your assistance. My Kit will need rest for a few days. You should be waking up now. Thank you, Uzumaki Kushina." **

Before Kushina could reply, she felt herself being forced out of Naruto's mind, her eyes opening to see the white ceiling of the hospital.

* * *

Out in the real world, only a few minutes had gone by. Minato and Sarutobi had stood back, watching as the red masses of chakra fought against one another. The vicious chakra from Kushina seemed to have been subdued, and before he could register what was going on, it was rushing towards Naruto. Going into him.

Sarutobi watched, interested in the battle between them. Naruto had won, it seemed. Everything had calmed when the chakra had disappeared into Naruto. Signaling for Minato to lower the barrier, he saw Kushina waking up. She shot up from the bed, the seal on her stomach fading away. It was empty. Her demon was gone, sealed into Naruto.

Before they could ask what had happened, she had rushed over to Naruto, checking on his condition. His demonic features were fading, and the seal on his stomach was different. It was exactly as she had seen in Naruto's mindscape. He was safe. He had won.

"Kushina, what.. happened?" Minato asked softly, a bit shaken at seeing his friend so distressed.

She looked back at Minato, wiping away a few tears that had fallen from her eyes. "Naruto won. He needs to rest a few days, but he won."

Shifting Sasuke in his arms a bit, Sarutobi looked down at the sleeping shinobi. Naruto would most likely be sleeping the next few days, but at least Kushina could give a report.

"Let's allow Naruto-kun his rest. He deserves it. Come, Kushina-san. I need to know what happened."

After having a nurse check on Naruto's condition, the three shinobi along with Sasuke went to Sarutobi's office to discuss what exactly had happened in their mindscapes.

* * *

Over the next three days, Minato and Kushina visited Naruto every day to check on him. Minato's mind was reeling from what Kushina had told him about the battle in their mindscape. Naruto had sealed the fox within himself. He was a Seal Master. Only a Seal Master could do something like that. Having a few days off, Kushina was helping him take care of Sasuke until Naruto woke up.

Kushina had a new found respect for Naruto. To go against the fox, even with the threat of death? She respected him deeply for it. She had quickly became attached to Sasuke, the baby a complete delight to take care of.

Naruto was just sleeping. His body was adjusting to the sudden influx of chakra that he'd received, and he was recovering mentally.

He woke up in his mindscape first. Kurama was curled around his host, keeping a close eye on the boy he'd come to respect and care about.

**"Finally awake, Kit?"** The fox asked, looking down at Naruto.

"We won," Were the first words out of his mouth. Naruto grinned, leaning back against one of the demon's paws. "We're in the past."

Letting out a breath, he told Kurama what had happened right after they preformed the jutsu. He told the fox about Sasuke turning into a baby and becoming his son, sharing everything between them. Blood and chakra, no doubt. He told Kurama about the Sandaime knowing as well, and about the story they'd come up with to tell Kushina and Minato.

Kurama listened carefully as Naruto explained their current situation. He let out a laugh, shaking his head.

**"Everything is always complicated with you, isn't it? Yes, Sasuke is your son now,"** He answered the unspoken question.** "The jutsu is old. Sasuke will not have his memories as he grows up. He has your blood, your chakra. That boy is your son now, Naruto, in every sense of the word. You've done well so far without me." **

Now that they could speak to each other again, Kurama wasn't going to abandon his Kit. To the demon, Naruto was the only human he cared about. The boy was as much his Kit as Sasuke was Naruto's own son.

**"You know what this means for you, right?"** The confusion on Naruto's face told him the boy didn't.

**"You will never be born, Naruto. You are stuck in this timeline. Your parents will not conceive you, if they ever get together that is. The child known as Uzumaki Naruto will never be born." **

Kurama kept to himself that he had observed Minato visiting more than any others. Minato had sat by Naruto's bed the past three days, talking to his unconscious form and telling Naruto about his and Sasuke's day. While Kurama didn't know much about humans, he knew that Minato was interested in Naruto, if his actions and clear concern were anything to go by.

Naruto absorbed the information. He would never be born. Another child would probably take his place, but it would not be him. He knew that was a possibility. His own existance was a price he was willing to pay for the safety of his village and future, however.

Still-

He cried. He let go, and Kurama was there for him. The demon warped itself into another form. Rather than a fox, he took on the appearance of a human. A human with long, red hair and red eyes. A human with a demonic appearance. Kneeling in front of Naruto, Kurama pulled the boy into his arms. Years ago, he would have balked at the thought of taking a human form. For Naruto, he was willing to do anything.

Naruto clung to him. He clung to the demon that had been with him his entire life and cried. "Come outside," Naruto murmured after a while, sitting back to wipe at his eyes. "I want you to see Sasuke. I want you to.. to not be locked away. I need you out there, Kurama. You've been locked away too long."

Maybe it wouldn't blow over so well with the Sandaime, letting a demon have a body outside of the seal, but Naruto believed Kurama had earned it.

How could Kurama say no? He cared about Naruto. He was the only one who could understand what his vessel was going through. If Naruto wanted him to be around humans, then he would do so.

**"Alright, Kit. I'll go outside."**

Both of them closed their eyes, and Naruto woke up to the world for the first time in three days.

* * *

An hour later, Minato walked into Naruto's room, holding Sasuke in his arms. He expected to find his friend asleep, but instead, Naruto was sitting up in bed and laughing. What caught his attention, however, was the red haired man sitting right beside Naruto.

Minato stood by the door, observing the other man. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a well defined body. Oddly, he was wearing shinobi clothes. Black pants and a deep red shirt, with a green jounin jacket. He had red hair that was wild and long, stopping right at the middle of his back. His eyes were red. Not like the Sharingan, but a deeper red. All in all, Minato had never sen this shinobi before.

"Ah, so you finally decide to grace us with your presence, Namikaze Minato," Kurama's deep voice drew Naruto's attention to the other blond.

"Minato! You brought Sasuke!" Naruto grinned upon seeing the two. Naruto's voice snapped Minato out of it and he walked over, setting the energetic baby in Naruto's arms.

"Of course I did. He's been well today. Who is this?" Minato asked, turning his gaze on the red haired man, who met his look with one of his own. For some reason, it irked Minato.

"Go on, Naru-chan. Introduce us," Kurama smiled at the annoyed look on Minato's face.

"Oh! Minato, this is Kurama. Kurama, this is Minato," Naruto introduced, a bit occupied with checking Sasuke over. He'd been away from his son for days now, and was more worried about him than the other two.

"You're not a Konoha shinobi," Minato stated, narrowing his eyes at the other. Who was he to be so familiar towards Naruto?

Kurama scoffed at the very notion of being a mere shinobi. He may treat Naruto different, but that's because Naruto was special to him. "Of course I'm not a Konoha shinobi. I'm not a mere shinobi, Namikaze."

"Then who are you? How did you get into our village?" Minato really didn't like the man's condescending tone this guy had.

"I've always been here. Ever since the day Naruto arrived here, I've been with him. Do you believe I would abandon my Kit?" Kami, annoying Minato may become Kurama's new favorite thing to do.

"Excuse me? I've never seen you around Naruto before, and he's been living with me for two and a half months."

Naruto finally took note of the situation. Minato was practically glaring at Kurama, who had a smirk on his face that could put an Uchiha to shame.

"Minato," Naruto started calmly, deciding to get this over with quickly. "Kurama _has_ been with me since I've arrived in Konoha. He's the Kyuubi. Only, I let him have a human form. I asked him to be out here."

Silence fell in the room.

Kurama merely stared at Minato, watching the emotions play over his face in amusement.

Minato let the information sink in. Kurama- this man - was the Kyuubi in a human form? This was the demon that was sealed away inside of Naruto? Out of all things, that had never crossed his mind as even being possible.

Kurama's grin grew as he sat on the bed, wrapping an arm around Naruto's waist if only to enjoy the way Minato's eyes narrowed at him.

"As I said, I would never abandon my Kit. Those chakra suppressors never allowed me to speak with him until now. He was in yet another situation that could have been dangerous, and he needs me. Why wouldn't I come out of the seal for my Kit? I intend to stay out for a while. Naruto needs me. It seems you will have yet another house guest, Namikaze."

Oh yes, Kurama was going to thoroughly enjoy his time out of the seal. Watching Minato's eye twitch was amusing.

"We need to see the Sandaime about this." Minato could accept that Naruto was a Jinchuuriki. He held the demon back from destroying Konoha. However, he would not accept said demon walking around in a human form and acting too familiar with Naruto like this!

Naruto, completely oblivious to what was really going on, merely nodded. "Alright. Come on, Sasu! Let's go see Jiji!" He grinned at his son, though he wasn't really looking forward to seeing the Sandaime about this recent development.

On the way to the Hokage tower, the villagers were met with an odd sight. Naruto was walking and talking with Sasuke, which was normal. No, the odd sight? It was the red head who had an arm around Naruto's shoulders, and Minato, who was glaring at said red head.

It seemed Konoha was about to get more interesting.

* * *

Naruto was going to be the cause of his death, Sarutobi just knew it. The boy was a time traveler. He could accept that. No, the boy could apparently allow the Kyuubi out into a human form. Said demon was currently looking expectantly at him, while Minato seemed intent on glaring at the demon as if he could will him to burn to death.

Sarutobi never expected to find himself arguing with the Kyuubi before. Apparently, Naruto had a habit of doing the most unpredictable things.

"Pray tell, why should I allow you- a powerful Bijuu mind you - to stay out of your seal and watch over Naruto?" He asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Because Naruto needs me," Kurama stated plainly. Really, he didn't want to be dealing with these humans, but Naruto had asked him to come out. So, for his sake, he would endure it.

"Naruto has me," Minato argued. "You're a demon. Why should we trust you?"

Ah, Kurama had forgotten about Minato for a minute there.

"Shut up and allow me to speak, human," He growled lowly, narrowing his eyes at Minato. "I care not for your trust. Eighteen years. I have been with Naruto for _eighteen years_, since his father sealed me inside of him. I know his every fear. I know everything about Naruto. He is more my own kin than anyone else. He is the _only_ human I care about. If he says he needs me, whether it be outside the seal or inside of it, I will be there for him. I do not care about this village or any village. Naruto does. My vessels needs are all I care about. I have seen him suffer greatly, and if my presence out here will make him suffer less,_ I will be out here._ I will put up with you humans for his sake. Do _not_ test me, human! It is only because of the compassion of my vessel that I am allowing you to keep breathing right now!"

Minato wouldn't admit that he was scared for a brief moment. This was a Bijuu he was speaking with. A Bijuu that seemed to care greatly about Naruto. He had never heard of any Bijuu caring about their hosts before. Then again, Naruto seemed to be full of surprises.

Naruto rolled his eyes at Kurama's attempt to be intimidating. Shifting Sasuke in his arms a bit, he walked over and smacked the fox on the back of his head. The occupants in the room froze at the action, waiting for the demon to go on a rampage.

Instead, Kurama started chuckling. He rubbed the back of his head, looking towards his vessel and seeing the clear statement in his eyes.

You are not helping your case.

Fine. He would be more tolerant of these humans for Naruto's sake. Turning to the Sandaime, Kurama let out a breath.

"I will make an oath on Inari-sama if I must that I will not cause any human in this village harm as long as they do not intend to cause Naruto harm."

That was obviously the best they were getting from the demon. Sarutobi sighed, wondering once again what other tricks Naruto had up his sleeve. He quickly decided he didn't want to know.

"Fine. Minato-kun, it seems you will have another guest at your home," He said, holding up a hand to silence the protest that was about to come out of the ANBU Captain. "This is an order, Minato-kun. Kurama-kun will stay with you and Naruto-kun. Is that understood?" His tone left no room for argument from the ANBU.

Reluctantly, Minato accepted it. It didn't mean that he would like it though.

A few hours later, a document was drawn up and signed by Kurama. It stated that he would not harm any human from Konoha as long as they were not a threat towards Naruto. Should he break his agreement, Minato had every right to permanently alter Naruto's seal so the demon would never be able to come out of it again, a condition that Minato thoroughly enjoyed adding in.

As they all left, Sarutobi rubbed his eyes and wondered just how many more years he had until he could retire.

* * *

**AN:** That's it for now! What did you guys think? Sorry that it's a bit late! I'm going to have a lot of fun with this new development, that's for sure!


	6. Meaning Of Family

Okay, yes, I am late on updates, I know. I am so, so very sorry for that. Work has kept me very busy, along with other things as well, but I am finally back! I will be updating these stories as regularly as I can. Now, I've noticed a few question I would like to answer in the reviews.

**Would Sasuke have the Sharingan?: **That is undecided for me. It would definitely be interesting if he developed it later on in his life, however, it would bring up a lot of questions, both from Minato and from the Uchiha clan. So, I am still undecided about the Sharingan as of yet.

**Would Naruto ever tell Minato about how they are related?: **Would Naruto personally reveal it? Most likely not. Naruto is going to have a lot of secrets to keep from Minato, their blood relation being one of the main things. Remember, Naruto grew up alone as a child. He is now grown, and even now, could not bring himself to see Minato as a father, even if he tried. So no, Naruto would not personally reveal it. I'm debating on having Minato find out about it later down the line, but this as well is still undecided for me.

If you have any other questions, I'll gladly answer them! I'm happy you guys like the idea of Kurama coming out of the seal. It will certainly be very interesting to write.

* * *

**Chapter Six:** Meaning Of Family

* * *

Three months ago, Minato had been taking A-ranked missions with his ANBU Squad. Three months ago, his life was normal. Now, he had Konoha's new Jinchuuriki living with him, and said Jinchuuriki's son as well. He could handle that. After all, Kushina had been the previous Jinchuuriki, and they had been friends for years. So, it wasn't the fact that Naruto was a Jinchuuriki that grated on his nerves at the moment.

It was the demon fox that seemed intent on seeing if he could get Minato to plunge a kunai into it's gut.

Not only was the demon a huge security risk to the village outside of the seal, he was also, to put it bluntly, an asshole.

From the moment they reached the apartment, Kurama had taken it on himself to scrutinize every room. He honestly didn't care what Minato's apartment looked like. If Naruto was in danger here, Kurama would have known by now. No, he was having fun. It had been a very, _very_ long time since he'd been outside of the seal, and nothing in the agreement he'd made with the Sandaime had said he couldn't have fun. It was merely an added bonus to watch the ANBU Captain glare at him.

"I suppose this is acceptable for a _human's_ dwelling," The demon commented once he had time to look around the apartment. Naruto had taken to putting Sasuke in his crib as the baby was fast asleep already. Kurama felt a tug on his mind, and a second later, heard Naruto's voice filter through their link.

_**"Kurama."**_ That voice sounded desperate and so broken, even though Naruto was the picture of calm when he walked out of the bedroom to get a drink of water.

**"I know, Kit." **Gentle, his eyes softened as he looked at Naruto. The boy was so fragile right now. So fragile, and Kurama hadn't been here for almost _two months_ while Naruto had to deal with this _alone_. The fox had nearly gone insane, trying to get _any_ kind of connection to his Kit during that time but was blocked at each and every attempt. Well. He was here now, and _nothing_ would stop him from keeping his Kit safe.

Minato speaking broke the demon out of his thoughts. "You can have the couch." The ANBU was obviously not happy at the thought of having Kurama out of his seal, but the demon didn't care.

"I don't require sleep. I'm not weak as you humans are." Yes, Kurama would treat Naruto differently but Naruto deserved it. Naruto was _his Kit_, had earned his respect. Every other human could burn as far as Kurama was concerned.

Minato bristled at the insinuation that he was weak, steel eyes narrowing. "Now you listen here-" The sound of a fist meeting the table cut him off. He looked at Naruto in concern, noticing the faint trembling of his body, his fists clenched at his sides. It hit Minato that fighting with this demon wasn't important right now. Kami, Naruto had just come out of a coma after so many days.

"Naruto?" Minato's tentative voice broke Naruto out of his own overwhelming thoughts. He'd been so tense since the battle in his mindscape, and now that Kurama was out it had weighed on him just what he had to do. He realized since arriving that he had a chance to change everything. No, not a chance. A responsibility. Yet while his chakra was locked up for the first two months, he'd become comfortable in a routine. Too comfortable. Now with his chakra back, he realized he couldn't stand by and watch everything happen. He had a responsibility to this village, to the entire world.

"Sorry. I'm just tired," Naruto apologized, giving Minato a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The ANBU looked like he wanted to say something but silently accepted the excuse, deciding that Naruto had been through enough already. Questions could come later.

Without saying a word, Naruto went back to his own room. He busied himself with drawing security seals across the walls, something he'd wanted to do for two months. It felt good, being able to have his privacy back.

Sharp, red eyes turned on Minato as soon as the demon and ANBU were alone. "I don't trust you." _Wasn't that ironic_, Minato thought. The _demon_ didn't trust him.

"Good. We're on the same page then. I don't trust you either." Minato trusted his instincts, and they were telling him not to trust this being in front of him. Naruto may trust Kurama, but Minato believed that the other shinobi trusted too easily. He had noticed that Naruto had a heart that was too soft.

"I don't trust you with Naruto." Kurama didn't know why, but he felt the need to clarify. Maybe it was because he had seen the obvious way that Minato seemed to act around Naruto. Those soft looks that the man gave him when he thought no one was watching. Naruto wasn't ready for something like that yet. He was still in pain, still hurting even though it wasn't openly. Because of their connection, he could practically feel the waves of emotion coming off of Naruto. Kurama didn't even think that anyone had noticed the way Naruto had masked his chakra signature as soon as he'd woken up. He was very good at hiding when he wanted.

"I would never hurt him!" Blue eyes flashed like ice, a cold, deep anger settling at the mere thought of harming Naruto. Minato wasn't blind. He knew there were things Naruto was still keeping to himself, had seen the flashes of pain in those eyes. He thought that giving Naruto time would help the shinobi in opening up to him, but it seemed to be making it worse.

"You would. You have the capacity to harm Naruto more than anyone else at this moment. Listen closely, Namikaze. I will not give you the chance to harm my Kit. Eighteen years I've watched over him, and I've seen him harmed too many times. If I deem you are a threat." Kurama let some of his own Killing Intent seep out. Just a mere fraction to remind the shinobi that he was a Bijuu, a being of legend and not a simple human that would back down when it came to Naruto's safety.

_**"Kurama."**_ Naruto's voice cracked with emotion and Kurama pulled back his KI, letting the other man have a breath. "Heed my warning, Namikaze."

Having the last word, the demon stalked out of the living room, going to Naruto's bedroom. He sensed the many privacy seals on the walls, and knew that if they spoke they wouldn't be interrupted. Naruto was standing by Sasuke's crib, looking down at the child with an unreadable emotion on his face. Closing the door behind him, Kurama walked over to the boy and did something he should have done a while ago. Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around Naruto, holding him close and letting some of his chakra seep out to wrap around them both. It seemed to work, because Naruto began relaxing after a while, leaning into his hold.

**_"They're gone. All of them are gone."_** Kami, how long had Naruto kept this pain in? The sheer grief in his voice had the demon tightening his hold on the boy.

**"They're not gone, Kit. You did it. You saved them. Allow yourself to rest for now. Give yourself time to grieve."** It seemed the wrong thing to say, because Naruto tensed in his arms.

**"I can't! I can't just stand by and watch it happen all over again. I can change things, Kurama. For the first time, I can change things for the better. I have to. It's my responsibility. Madara has to be stopped and I can't- I've been fooling myself thinking I could live comfortably with Sasuke."** Even though Naruto wasn't openly speaking, Kurama heard his voice through their link perfectly. The bitterness in his voice, the conviction and resignation- it didn't sound right.

**"You have time, Kit. You did it. When it all felt impossible, you worked with every Bijuu to turn back time. You saved Sasuke, you turned back time even when the odds were against you. You are Uzumaki Naruto. You are a stubborn, knucklehead and you can do the impossible. You earned the respect of a demon that was blinded in hatred, did you not? You can do this as well. I will be here to help you."** Red chakra coiled around them both, taking the form of nine tails and Naruto once again relaxed at the familiar presence.

There shouldn't be such a burden on his shoulders. Kurama thought, no he knew that Naruto had done more than enough for this world. Yet he was stubborn. He would destroy himself to see this world safe once again, no matter what it did to himself. Not again. Never again would Kurama let Madara harm his Kit. He would tear the Uchiha apart before it happened. Yes, his stubborn Kit would take on this mission to change the world, but Kurama would stand at his side this time. For now though, he deserved to rest. To grieve for those that he lost.

**"Rest, Kit. I will watch over you." **Gently, Kurama lead Naruto over to the bed and tucked the shinobi in. The soft look in the demon's eyes were one of a concerned father as he watched the boy fall asleep slowly, red chakra still coiled safely around him. Thinking about it, he was as close as a father that Naruto had in his life. Ironic, considering his actual father was in the other room.

Right now, things must have seemed overwhelming to the boy. He was only eighteen, yet he had the responsibility of the world on his shoulders. This time, Kurama would be there to help him with his burden.

This time, Kurama wouldn't let him take this on his own. He was a demon, yes. He didn't care about the affairs of human's. The world could burn as far as Kurama was concerned. Yet, Naruto wanted to keep this world safe, and so he would do everything in his power to meet the boy's wishes.

It was the least he could do for the boy who had done so much for him.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," The Sandaime said, looking at the demon and it's container, who had came to his office early this morning, "You want me to approve missions to you so you can change the future in our favor? We have a war coming, Naruto. A war you already plan to divert. Now, you want to- to what? Face Madara as well?" Did this boy have no sense of self preservation? The fact that they had to stop an upcoming war was weighty enough. Now Naruto wanted to make sure the Akatsuki never formed and face it's founder? Once again, he wondered when he could retire.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm asking." Naruto knew exactly what he wanted to do. He had plans to visit Ame within the next few months while he could to check on the orphans.

"You realize you will be away for possibly months during these missions, all of which are exceedingly dangerous on their own?"

"Yes, I realize that."

The Hokage turned to the demon, who incredibly seemed to be the more sensible of the two. "You agree with him?"

"Wherever he wishes to go, I will follow." Scratch that. The demon was as insane as his container, it seemed. Sarutobi just knew Naruto would drive him crazy before he had a chance to retire. Kami, as if sending Naruto on these missions wouldn't worry him enough. It wasn't that he thought the boy couldn't handle them, but over the two months, he'd grown fond of Naruto.

"What about Sasuke? Who will watch over him?" Surely they wouldn't leave the boy alone? The child needed his father.

Naruto shifted, looking a bit sheepish. "Well, I've thought about it. If I'm away, and Minato has missions, I have some.. friends that can watch over him." He purposely avoided stating who those friends were, and it didn't escape the Hokage's notice. When he gave no more information, Sarutobi sighed and pinched his nose, muttering about annoying blonds under his breath.

"Fine. I will concede with these plans, but you _must_ give me a report before you leave, and at most, every two weeks while you are away. You realize I have yet to make you both official Konoha shinobi, don't you?" The question was a bit of a surprise.

"Both of us? What do you mean?" Kurama narrowed his eyes at the Hokage, not liking the smile on the old man's face.

"Well, seeing as you are insisting on staying out of the seal, I cannot have you running around doing as you wish, Kurama-san," Sarutobi smiled when realization seemed to dawn on their faces. "You will both partake in exams, and you will both have to face opponents for me to properly determine your status. Unless you wish to start off as a Genin?" The look of horror on Naruto's face almost made him laugh. Almost.

"No! We'll do it, Jiji! Anything but that!" Naruto immediately protested. He'd spent most of his life as a Genin already! There was absolutely no way he was going back to it.

"You're very presumptuous to think I will easily agree to this," Kurama commented, raising an eyebrow at the Hokage. Naruto may be easily swayed, but Kurama saw no reason why he was to be put on the same level as other human's.

Sarutobi leveled the demon with a stare, not backing down on the issue. "I will not having you go on missions with Naruto if you are not a registered shinobi, Kurama-san. I can easily get Minato-kun to adjust Naruto's seal. I'm sure he'd be _very_ happy to oblige." That made the demon's hackles rise, but with a pleading look from Naruto, he backed down, grumbling under his breath.

"Since we're all in agreement," Sarutobi smiled, "You both have two months to prepare for your assessments. Until then, you will not take any missions. Since Naruto has received a change to his chakra system, he will need time to adjust to it. Is that enough time?"

Naruto nodded, knowing the Hokage was right. The sudden influx of new chakra to his system had completely shot his coils. He needed time to get them back to how they were before. Kurama would no doubt help him with it. "Thank you, Jiji! That should be more than enough time."

Kurama suddenly spoke up, "What will this assessment entitle?" Now that the Hokage thought about it, did the Bijuu even know any jutsu? Aside from being a being made of pure, unlimited chakra, he'd never heard of Bijuu preforming any sort of jutsu.

"You two will have a physical exam to assess your health. You will have mental exams, and writing exams," Naruto groaned at that, "Lastly, you will both face opponents of my own choice."

The smile on the demon's face turned feral. "Are we allowed to go all out on the fight?" Of course he would ask that. It didn't surprise either human's in the room.

"You are not allowed to kill," Sarutobi said firmly, narrowing his eyes at Kurama. "Understand? Only when your opponent is unable to proceed are you to stand down."

"Alright. I will agree to this assessment, but only because I refuse to let Naruto go on missions alone." Well, it was as good as he would get from the demon, Sarutobi supposed. He nodded, looking at the two in his office. A time traveling Jinchuuriki, and a Bijuu in a human form. Of all the things, this was the strangest he had ever seen.

"Very well. You two may use whatever training grounds you wish. Do not, I repeat, _do not _destroy them unless you plan on cleaning them up. Understood?"

Naruto nodded sharply, already planning on using a different place to train. The Valley he had almost lost Sasuke at seemed an appropriate place. Hearing his thoughts, Kurama smiled. They could set up seals so their spars wouldn't be interrupted. The identical grins on their faces almost made Sarutobi shiver. Almost.

"On the matters of your identities. Kazama Naruto, and Kazama Kurama. You are both brothers from this point onward." Despite Kurama's red hair and eyes, along with Naruto's blond hair and blue eyes, the three scars on their faces were almost like a family trait. Kurama seemed to model his human form a bit after Naruto, because he looked somewhat like him, having the boy's eye shape and nose, though his jaw was sharper whereas Naruto's face was rounder, like his mother's. Kurama was nearly four inches taller than Naruto as well, more defined whereas Naruto was slim and smaller than the demon. Other than those differences, if one looked close enough, they could be brothers.

Naruto glanced at the demon briefly. It was easy to see the fox as a brother. He had fought a war with him for two years, after all. Kurama, however, saw Naruto as his Kit. To a demon such as Kurama, family meant family. Whatever human's labeled them didn't matter to him. Naruto was his family. He nodded, accepting the identity.

"Since that is settled, you two are dismissed." The two newly labeled brothers left the window, grinning at the cursing from the Hokage about shinobi and _there's a door, so use it! _

Sarutobi sighed, leaning back against his chair. He just knew those two were going to change Konoha, though for better or for worse, he wasn't sure. Well, they had two months until the assessment. It would certainly be interesting to see.

* * *

AN: I'm so, so, so sorry this took so long! Work has kept me really busy, but I'll be updating as often as I can from now on! I promise! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, short as it is.


	7. Will To Fight

** AN: **I would like to thank Ares Winchester for helping me with this chapter. They've been incredibly helpful in getting me out of my writers block to get this chapter up! I really hope you guys like this, because I'm pouring a ton of my soul into this heart wrenching, bitter sweet chapter.

Reviews are appreciated! I will be working on this chapter and more tonight as well as tomorrow!

Music I listened to for this chapter: The Great Escape by Pink. Say When by The Fray. Never let me go by Florence and the machine. Wrong Side Of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch. Outlaws Of Love by Adam Lambert.

What music comes to your minds when reading this fanfic? I'd really love to know!

* * *

**Chapter Seven:** Will To Fight

* * *

"What's wrong, Kit?" Stopping on a roof top, the red head looked back at Naruto, who had suddenly stopped as well. Naruto didn't answer, not at first. Blue eyes swept over the village, taking it in as if seeing it for the first time.

So much had happened in the past two and a half months he'd arrived in this timeline. Everything felt like it was moving too fast, and Naruto just needed some time alone. Time to think and reflect on what his life had become. As much as he wanted to spar with Kurama, he needed time to himself. It felt like he was drowning, barley getting enough air into his lungs right now.

"Nothing. Just need time, Kurama. Would you go check on Sasuke for me? I'll meet you at home in a little while." The smile that he gave didn't quite reach his eyes. Kurama wanted to protest but he knew how stubborn the blond could be when he wanted. If Naruto needed time to himself, then he would respect that. As much as he didn't want to leave him alone right now, he respected Naruto's choices even more.

"Alright, Kit. Be careful," Kurama sighed softly. For being the strongest Bijuu, there were very few enemies he could face. The pain Naruto felt was one thing he couldn't erase, no matter how much power he had. Naruto barley acknowledged him as he left, turning his gaze onto the people wondering the streets below.

Silent, he jumped onto the ground, soon blending into the crowd of people. The atmosphere of the village was so peaceful, people smiling as they went about their days, unaware of the horrors that lay waiting in the future. He never thought he would see his village like this again. Never dared to hope that he would get the privilege of seeing the houses standing and Konoha's people safe. Shikamaru once said to him that the future of this village were the children. He was right. They were the future, but whenever Naruto remembered what had happened, he found it hard to believe in such a thing anymore.

The thought made him stop walking, his breath catching in his throat. When did he start thinking like that? When did he start to lose his hope for the future? Hope was all he'd ever been able to hold on to anymore. It was all that kept him going. Now, looking around the village, he knew he should see this place as his strength. Yet it just reminded him of the people that sacrificed their lives. Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Tsunade Baa-chan, Ero-sennin. They were gone and he wouldn't ever see them again. Not as they use to be.

"Watch where you're going, baka!" A voice startled Naruto out of his thoughts and when had he started walking aimlessly again? He shifted his gaze down, his eyes going wide at the sight that greeted him.

Gray hair, and piercing black eyes glared up at him. An unmasked face, Kami,_ unmasked. _The boy couldn't be any older than six years old, and he realized with a start just who it was. Hatake Kakashi was staring at him as if he had grown two heads.

"W.. What? Who're you calling a baka, shrimp?!" _Great, nice going. What a way to make a first impression on the child,_ he inwardly chided himself.

"I'm not the one that's not paying any attention to where they're going," Was the snapped reply and alright, Kakashi-sensei was a smartass even as a child. Naruto made a mental note to burn every Icha Icha book the boy ever bought when he grew up.

He was about to reply when something caught his attention. Whispers were being spoken, and people on the street were looking at Kakashi rather than Naruto. He frowned, suitably applying chakra to his ears to enhance his hearing.

"It's the Hatake child again."

"Did you hear about the mission his father threw? The man brought such dishonor to his family name.."

"Eh? He threw a mission? What kind of shinobi does that?"

Blue eyes softened as he realized what these people were talking about. All his life, Naruto had grown up with people whispering about him as a child.

_"Demon spawn."_

_"Stay away from him!" _

_"Don't go near him! He's dangerous!" _

He knew what it was like to grow up having the village whispering behind his back. To think that it was happening to Kakashi tugged at his heart. While he knew about the boy's father throwing a mission to save his own comrades, he had never thought that Kakashi would have faced this growing up. Even though Kakashi seemed to not care about the whispers, Naruto saw the pain in his eyes. He knew that pain, had lived with it most of his life growing up. A smile tugged at his lips and he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, steering him away from the crowd.

"W-What're you doing, baka?! Oi!" Ignoring the boy's protests, Naruto directed Kakashi towards a Ichiraku's ramen stand. He sent a cold look towards the people who had spoken about the boy, finding some satisfaction from the looks on their faces when they saw his glare.

"You're right, brat. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Then again, you're so short that I didn't notice you," He smirked, enjoying the look of annoyance on the boy's face. "So I'm going to buy you lunch as an apology. How do you like ramen?"

It almost broke his heart when he saw Kakashi's face melt into honest confusion. Didn't he have any friends growing up? Well, that was about to change if Naruto had any say about it. Which he did.

"I-I didn't agree to go eat with you, you weirdo!" Once again, Naruto ignored the boy because if Kakashi really didn't want to eat, he knew the boy would have left by now. Instead, Kakashi was walking with him. Silently, Naruto counted it as a win in his books as he walked towards Ichiraku's ramen. Just because he was feeling down, it didn't mean he couldn't do something to make someone else feel better today.

* * *

Ichiraku's ramen stand was the one thing in Konoha that never changed, no matter the timeline. It was, in a way, like the Hokage monument to Naruto. Even as a child, it was a source of comfort for him to come here, and even now, it gave him comfort. The feeling was bitter sweet, a balm on the aching hole in his chest.

"Don't you know who I am?" Kakashi's voice drew Naruto out of his thoughts and he looked over to find the boy staring at him as if he were the strangest person he had ever seen. Once more, Naruto felt his heart tug and tear apart upon seeing that expression. How could a village do this to one of their own? To a child no less? Naruto silently cursed, hating himself for not checking on Kakashi sooner, for not making sure he was alright.

It meant he was too late. Sakumo's mission had gone wrong, but was the man dead? Kakashi was already being faced with the prejudice, was already seeing the ugly side of the village. Seeing that wary look in Kakashi's eyes hurt. No child should feel like they couldn't trust someone else.

"Well, I've only been here for two months," Naruto started talking after ordering a miso ramen for himself. "Hatake Kakashi, right? You look a lot like your father. Or at least, that's what I've heard. I've never met Hatake Sakumo before." It was an offhanded comment to anyone else, but Naruto wanted to know if Sakumo was alive right now. He needed to know he wasn't too late.

"Tou-san is busy," Kakashi answered shortly, turning away so he could order some ramen for himself. If this strange shinobi wanted to pay for food for him, then he would accept it. Besides, the man hadn't been openly hostile towards him, and if he had only been in the village for two months, then he must not have heard of what his father had done yet. It would explain why he was being so nice to him. Kakashi was sure the man's attitude would chance once he found out what his father had done, however. Everyone had changed when they learned that his father had thrown a mission.

"That's too bad," Naruto sighed, though he was inwardly cheering. Sakumo-san was alive, and he had a chance to keep it that way. "I've heard many great things about the White Fang, and I've always wanted to meet him. Especially after I heard about his last mission. He did what any decent shinobi would do. Putting a mission before your comrades is noble."

Kakashi's head snapped up when he heard those words, wide eyes staring up at the strange shinobi. This was the first time that he had ever heard anyone say that what his father had done was the right thing. He searched the man's face, saw nothing but complete honesty. Kakashi hadn't expected this. He grown use to the harsh whispers, the cruel words of the village over the past few weeks. However, here was a person who truly believed what his father had done was right. His father had broken the shinobi code, yet this person was saying that he had done the right thing. Kakashi didn't know what to believe.

Naruto smiled sadly, knowing he'd probably just thrown the boy for a loop. Without that mask, he could see the emotions playing across Kakashi's face, even though it was obvious that the boy tried to keep them concealed. Two bowls of ramen being set in front of them snapped Naruto out of his thoughts and he pushed Kakashi's ramen towards the boy.

"Eat up, brat," Naruto chuckled when he saw the boy looking warily at the ramen. Kakashi hesitated a moment before taking his chopsticks and beginning to dig in. Really, the boy was adorable, and that was a word Naruto would never have guessed he would associate with Hatake Kakashi.

They ate in silence, a peaceful silence that slipped around them both. Naruto soon finished his bowl and set some money on the counter when Kakashi spoke. "What's your name?" The question was hesitant, dark eyes peering up at the strange shinobi.

"Kazama Naruto. It's nice to meet you, Kakashi," Naruto introduced, holding out a hand for the boy to shake. Kakashi hesitated only a moment before taking the man's hand and giving it a firm shake. He was still wary, but this man, Naruto, knew of what his father had done and only looked at him with understanding on his face. There were no cruel words, no glares or negative emotions in his eyes. Somehow, Kakashi didn't think Naruto would look at him like that.

"It's.. nice to meet you too, Kazama-san. I should be getting home. It's getting late." Not that anyone would be home waiting for him. His father was rarely ever home now and had only ever been pulling away from his son since his mission.

"Alright. I'll walk you home." Naruto wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. He knew the boy would be faced with more of those glares, and Naruto wouldn't stand by and do nothing about it. Kakashi seemed to realize that protesting wouldn't work because a look of resignation came across his face. Then again, it was.. nice that someone wasn't looking at him with those cruel eyes.

They started walking, the little six year old leading the way. With Kakashi in front of Naruto, he didn't see the blonde glaring at nearly anyone who dared to say anyone. Naruto was angry, yes. Did this village not know what it's shinobi gave for them to live peacefully every day? These civilians knew nothing of war, nothing of the sacrifices made so that they could live comfortably. The shinobi were the one's he expected to know better, yet ignorance blinded them as well it seemed.

Kakashi noticed on the walk home that not many people stared at him, and not a single person said anything. Curiously, he glanced back at Naruto and felt a shiver run down his spine. Blue eyes, hard as ice were narrowed, jaw set and Naruto was holding himself like a true shinobi. Was.. he protecting him from the villagers? Once again, this strange shinobi threw the boy for a loop. He had no clue why Naruto was bothering, but it was.. nice to be able to walk home without hearing those cruel words.

It seemed like no time at all when they finally reached the Hatake residence. Naruto relaxed his posture a bit, eyes turning gentle as he looked down at Kakashi. He reached out, ruffling the boy's hair, much to the child's confusion. "If you ever want some ramen, just come to Namikaze Minato's place. I'm staying with him for now," Naruto instructed gently, a smile tugging at his lips when he saw those eyes widen. Now that the boy was home safely, Naruto turned and started walking away, aware that Kakashi was staring at him as he left.

Kakashi had no clue what to think at the moment. That strange shinobi had spent some time with him, and while it was nice to not be glared at for once, he hadn't expected that the man would have wanted to see him again once he learned of what his father had done. However, Naruto already knew. He knew what his father had done, saw it as a noble thing, and.. wanted to spend more time with him. Kakashi entered his house, his mind reeling with the revelation. He only wished his dad was home so he could tell him about what had just happened.

* * *

Naruto didn't want to deal with questions right now. He didn't go through the front door when he reached Minato's place, but went through his window instead. Sasuke was sound asleep in his crib, and when he looked at the clock, he noticed it was just about the time for the boy to wake up from his nap. Gently, he picked up the sleeping bundle, cradling Sasuke to his chest.

He'd already accepted that Sasuke was his son. Now, as Naruto watched the baby begin to squirm before those blue eyes finally peeked open to look up at him, he couldn't imagine what he would do without his son. He knew Hatake Sakumo planned to kill himself. The thought of leaving a child alone in such a world.. Naruto tugged Sasuke closer, smiling a bit when the baby began cooing and reaching for his hair. He couldn't imagine leaving his own son like that, to abandon him in the worst kind of way.

No. It wouldn't happen, not this time around. Kakashi would face a lot of things growing up, but he would never have to lose his father. Naruto would beat some sense into Hatake Sakumo's stubborn head if that's what it took to get the man to realize just what he would be leaving behind. He would show the man that there was too much to live for, that there was still a reason to live and fight. Walking out of the room with Sasuke to give the baby his lunch, Naruto was already forming a plan on how to get Hatake Sakumo to realize that he still had a reason and a will to fight.

He wouldn't fail. Not this time.

* * *

**AN:** Woo! I finally got the inspiration to finish this chapter, after.. how long? A few months now? Yay! So, here's the current situation. Should Naruto save Sakumo, or should he be too late? What are your thoughts? Leave your opinions in the comments, please!


	8. Ripples

**AN:** This chapter is **not finished** as of yet. I decided to go ahead and post it since I haven't updated since September. Honestly, I _am_ working through this chapter currently, but am hitting a few roadblocks. I **do** have the next few chapters planned out - if anyone is willing to help me plot this out or anything, I am more than willing to listen! I hope you guys enjoy this preview of this chapter, and I hope I will be able to get it finished soon! I've recently been laid off of work along with a bunch of other coworkers, and have been struggling for a bit. Things are looking better, however!

**AN2:** If anyone is interested in helping me get this story back on track? My Skype is **Glxdenkit**. Just send **_Waves&amp;&amp;Wind_** when you add me so that I know why a random person has decided to add me! Again, I apologize, but I hope this somewhat makes up for the delays!

* * *

**Chapter Eight:** Ripples

* * *

_Slash. _

_Why had it come to this? _

_"-Katon-" _

_He never wanted this. _

_"-Mokkuton-" _

_"Madara!" _

_"Hashirama!" _

_Blood. There was blood everywhere, the landscape completely destroyed. A sword through the back of the one he had called brother- _

_Naruto didn't know why he was seeing this. But- suddenly, Hashirama's pain became his pain. The feeling of utter betrayal, the pain and hopelessness- suddenly, Madara's face was Sasuke's face, and they were at the Valley again. Naruto and Hashirama were both fighting side by side, both feeling the same pain. Why had it come to this? They didn't want to kill the one person they cared for the most. Please, please, stop this! Stop this, Sasuke! Stop this, Madara! Please- _

Naruto's eyes snapped open as he sat up from the bed, panting heavily. Those were.. Hashirama's memories? Why? The pain in his chest hadn't gone away. Kami.. To feel what Hashirama felt.. It was exactly the same thing he'd felt when he'd fought Sasuke.

Hopeless. Helpless. Betrayed. Desperate to do anything for the fighting to just _stop._

Their lives were the same. Although they had different life experiences, they shared the same pain. Hashirama hadn't _wanted_ to kill Madara. He'd done so, however, for the sake of the village.

Slipping out of bed, Naruto made his way over to the crib, picking Sasuke up. Once upon a time, he'd been willing to take Sasuke down at any cost. Just like Hashirama.

A cycle. This curse was an endless cycle. Two brothers, one gifted while the other had to train for his own powers - one betrayed, the other seeking power - both brothers, fighting until the death. Each time, they were reborn. Staring down at Sasuke, it hit him then. If he killed Madara again, the cycle would just go on.

It wouldn't stop. Over and over again, they would be reborn. Just as he and Sasuke had been reborn with the same souls. The cycle would continue.

So how did he stop the cycle?

* * *

Minato paused as he heard the question that Naruto had just asked.

"I'm sorry?" Why did Naruto want to know about-

"I'm asking if you know Hatake Sakumo." Naruto patiently repeated the question as he adjusted Sasuke in his arms, bottle in the baby's mouth. The child was growing up well. So far, he hadn't been sick again. Naruto had been more attentive to the boy since their trip to the hospital.

"I don't know him personally, but I've seen him before," Minato worded his answer carefully, curious as to what Naruto was planning. Had he heard about Hatake's mission? Why was he asking?

Naruto merely nodded in acceptance, deciding that, if he wanted to find Sakumo, he would have to do so through Kakashi. He'd know Kakashi's chakra signature anywhere. He simply smiled, and Minato felt a shiver go down his spine. Somehow, he thought that Naruto was going to cause more trouble.

He was learning that Naruto attracted trouble like flies to honey. Minato decided that he wouldn't intervene, not unless it looked like Naruto wasn't able to handle the situation. However, due to recent experiences, trouble always seemed to find Naruto. For now? He'd leave him to his own devices.

Breakfast was relatively quiet after that. Minato was still suspicious as to Naruto's motives with Hatake Sakumo, but watching the other blonde for a moment, he came to the conclusion that he was being overly paranoid. There was nothing to worry about, right?

Naruto was making his own plans. First, he would pack food for Sasuke since he'd be taking his son out today. After that? He would find Kakashi and Sakumo. If Sakumo was avoiding his son? Naruto would track the bastard down and drag him back to Kakashi. One way or another? They would all be spending time together today.

In the Hokage's office, Sarutobi felt a shiver go down his spine. He blamed it on Naruto.

It was routine in the mornings. Minato or Naruto would do the cooking. Whomever didn't cook would do the cleaning. Then, depending on if he had a mission or not, Minato would be gone for the day. If not, he would attempt to spend more time with Naruto. So far, they'd gone out to eat, had gone to the hot springs, and had gone to the training grounds.

Each time they spent together, Minato would carefully work on finding out more about Naruto. It was - difficult, to say the least. There were so many walls built up around the mysterious blonde. So many defenses. As soon as he thought he'd broken through one of them, he'd hit another wall. It was driving the ANBU Captain insane.

Hadn't he promised Naruto that he would never abandon him? Hadn't he promised not to leave him alone? Naruto was so - confusing! One moment, Minato would think that he'd broken through those defenses. Then, not a minute later, those blue eyes would look so sad, so pained that it was all he could do not to coddle the other shinobi. He was positive that Naruto would take offense to being coddled. Maybe he was overly cautious as well, but Minato also didn't want to end up with a kunai in his back either. He'd personally witnessed Naruto's reactions to being startled. How in the world could someone turn a straw into a weapon?

He snapped out of his thoughts when Naruto suddenly stood up from the table and placed Sasuke in his arms. The baby had already eaten his own breakfast, so why was Naruto packing food? Were they going out today? Naruto hadn't said anything about going out. Unless.. Did this have to do with his questions about Hatake Sakumo?

"What are you planning?" Being blunt with Naruto was usually the best way to get answers.

Naruto paused briefly before he continued to pack the bag he'd brought out of the room today for Sasuke with bottles of water, extra diapers and some formula. "I'm just going out today. Sasuke likes it when we go out."

Minato raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying that simple answer. "Does this have anything to do with Hatake Sakumo?" He shifted Sasuke in his arms, having gotten better at holding the baby, and received a happy squeal from the child when one of those hands latched onto his hair.

Blue eyes watched carefully as Naruto tensed, only for a second. A reaction and an answer all in one. "Next question. Why are you going to see Hatake Sakumo today?" He was just worried. That's all. After all, Naruto didn't know the man, did he? No, he would have mentioned it if he did. Right? Plus, Naruto's never been to Konoha before. If he knew Hatake Sakumo, wouldn't Sakumo have visited by now? He had a right to be concerned.

Naruto let out a quiet sigh as he placed the strap of the bag over his shoulder. Minato's 'mother hen' tendencies, as he had dubbed them personally, were coming to the surface again. Who would have thought that Minato would be a mother hen?

"I ran into Kakashi yesterday. The boy looked lonely, so I'm bringing Sasuke over for a visit."

* * *

**AN:** I am so sorry this isn't very long! However, as stated above, this chapter is **not finished** as of yet! I decided to post it, however, because I figured I've made you all wait long enough and should post something other than authors notes. I hope this somewhat makes up for it! I really am sorry, guys! I promise, I will finish this chapter, and the next few chapters will definitely make up for this!


	9. Announcement

I'm sure you all saw this coming, but let me explain, alright?

I started this story last year, when I first got back into the Naruto series. I had an idea to basically rewrite the entire series - with my favorite pairing.

I am still going to do that. However -

I also got into the roleplay community on Tumblr. Most of my time has been occupied with roleplaying as both Uzumaki Naruto and Namikaze Minato. In the past year, my views of a lot of things in the series have changed.

I am going to continue this story on a completely different platform. However, this is not the only place I write. I also have a tumblr. I am mostly on my Namikaze Minato blog, which you can find **_here._**

I accept questions there. I am open about my MinaNaru ship. However, I also roleplay and write other ships, such as SasuMina, ItaMina, HiashiMina, KushiMina, ect. I also write drabbles there and am currently working on a series called Mission Report that is basically a giant fanfiction of Minato's entire life story. It centers on his ANBU years, and will have multiple flashbacks of his childhood.

I am easily accessible there to everyone who has questions about GMP.

I will be working on the story, perhaps even posting it over there, along with the Mission Report series. I am a very active member in the community and, even if you're not a roleplay blog? I will interact with you.

I understand a lot of you like my story. However, my writing has vastly improved within this last year.

So, check out my blog. You will all find not only writings there, but many fanarts that have been done in this past year that I believe you will enjoy.

My Namikaze Minato blog, for those that are possibly on mobile and can't see the link, is goldenyondaime/./tumblr/ .com (Just take away all of the / and put it all together.)

I hope you all have a good day, and I hope I've not disappointed anyone with this announcement.

The story is not ending.

It's only just beginning.


	10. PSA

ol  
liI'm not dropping the story. My official tumblr will be KazamaKurama - I am under the same name there, as I am on here and much easier to reach on Tumblr, honestly. /li  
liI also have my roleplay blog that I need to keep up. I will be updating Mission Report segments on my roleplay blog, Goldenyondaime/li  
liI will be writing drabbles on my tumblr account, KazamaKurama, and posting them there, possibly even on here. I am open to taking drabble requests - whatever the pairing./li  
liIf anyone wants to help me continue this story, you can reach me via. PM on here, or on either of my tumblr accounts./li  
listrongemThis story is not abandoned. /em/strong/li  
liI understand, I've been flaky these past few months. Work and personal issues in real life does that though. But I am fully ready to pump out more MinaNaru stories. Hell, more stories in general. /li  
liHonest to the coffee gods, if you have questions? Shoot me a PM on here or on Tumblr. It's a hell of a lot easier to communicate with me./li  
liI will be writing out drafts here and on tumblr for this story, getting a solid plot line basis for how I want this to go. Again, want to help? Great. That'd help me big time, because I'm also just a human who has trouble trying to pump out ideas sometimes./li  
/ol 


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